US sanctions 16 Nicolás Maduro regime officials who obstructed the election in Venezuela

The Treasury Department reported that it sanctioned 16 Venezuelan government, military, intelligence, Supreme Court of Justice and electoral authority officials for obstruction of the electoral process and violation of civil rights.

The sanctions target "key officials involved in Maduro's fraudulent and illegitimate electoral victory claims and his brutal crackdown on free speech after the elections, while the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans are calling for change," said Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo, quoted in a statement obtained by AFP.

The members of the Supreme Court of Justice that were sanctioned are judges Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta, Malaquías Gil Rodríguez, Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares, Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez Rodríguez Rodríguez and Fanny Beatriz Márquez Cordero.

Joe Biden's administration detailed that since the July 28 election, "Maduro and his proxies have indiscriminately arrested Venezuelans for exercising their political and civil rights and have deployed a series of intimidation tactics to silence the opposition."

"These acts, including the issuance of an arrest warrant for the successful presidential candidate, forced Edmundo González Urrutia to leave Venezuela to seek asylum in Spain," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement assuring that the decision means “the United States is taking action today to promote accountability for Nicolás Maduro and his representatives for obstructing a competitive and inclusive presidential election in Venezuela and abusing the human rights of the Venezuelan people.”

In addition, Blinken explained that the State Department has identified nearly 2,000 individuals as potentially subject to visa restrictions “under various authorities for their role in undermining democracy, engaging in significant corruption, or violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people.”