US Treasury slaps sanctions on five Venezuelan officials

An AFP file photo taken on October 18, 2018, shows the US Treasury Department building in Washington, DC.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on five Venezuelan authorities as part of latest attempts by Washington to pressure Venezuela’s legitimately-elected President Nicolas Maduro to resign.

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday accused the five Venezuelans, including security officials and political figures, of having been linked to violence against opposition protesters and to corruption under Maduro's government.

"Treasury is identifying high-level officials acting on behalf of the oppressive regime of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which continues to engage in egregious levels of corruption and human rights abuses," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin claimed in a statement.

Among the five sanctioned officials are Remigio Ceballos Ichaso, the top operational official in Venezuela's armed forces, Jose Adelino Ornelas Ferreira, the secretary general of the National Defense Council and Carlos Alberto Calderon Chirinos, a senior intelligence official.

The individuals have all previously been targeted for sanctions by the European Union or Canada.

The sanctions would freeze any assets the officials held in the United States and prohibited US citizens from doing business with them.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the Washington’s move on Tuesday and claimed that, “The Venezuelan people suffer brutality, violence and oppression at the hands of the intelligence, security and armed forces."

Pompeo said in a statement that the measure "demonstrates the United States' continuing commitment to maintain maximum pressure on the former Maduro regime” to help ensure what he claimed “a democratic transition in Venezuela.”

The United States has already imposed numerous rounds of sanctions against Venezuela following the political and economic crisis in the country.

Venezuela has been shaken by political unrest since January, when opposition politician and president of the defunct National Assembly Juan Guaido abruptly declared himself “interim president” of Venezuela, challenging the outcome of last year’s presidential election, in which Maduro emerged victorious.

Trump immediately recognized that self-proclamation. Ever since, the US has been escalating tensions against oil-rich Venezuela, and has not ruled out the military option to take out Maduro’s government.

The Venezuelan military has reaffirmed its support for Maduro despite the US threats.

Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of openly pushing for a coup in the oil-rich Latin American country by confiscating its state oil assets based in the US and channeling them to Guaido.

Caracas has accused Washington of waging an economic war, which has led to hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela.


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