VENEZUELA-US Sanctions Court Chief & Officials Over 'Fraudulent' Election

The US hasimposed sanctionson 16 Venezuelan officials, including Supreme Court President Caryslia Rodríguez, electoral council director Rosalba Gil and Secretary General Antonio Meneses, National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante and Asdrubal Brito, Director of Criminal Investigations of the Directorate-General of Military Counter-Intelligence.

• Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said that the US is "targeting key officials involved in Maduro’s fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free expression following the election, as the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans call for change,” adding "The Biden-Harris administration will continue to use our tools to hold Maduro and his cronies accountable and support the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people.”
• The sanctions come six weeks after the election that President Nicolas Maduro claims to have won, but that the opposition says was fraudulent, a view endorsed by the US and EU. With opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez seeking political asylum in Spain, and opposition figurehead Maria Corina Machado in hiding, the prospect of Maduro's ouster - at least in the short term - is reduced. As such, the prospect of tighter sanctions coming down the line on both individuals and entities related to Venezuela's oil industry is elevated.