The Biden administration on Thursday imposed sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and several of his close associates for disrupting the electoral process and violating the civil and human rights of his people.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the sanctions to reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
“President Biden's foreign policy approach in the Western Hemisphere is based on the belief that democracy is fundamentally essential to our continued economic prosperity and security,” she said. “Now Venezuela is no exception, and its blatant electoral fraud following the July 28 presidential election continues to be condemned and those who undermine democracy must be held accountable.”
“And that is why today we are taking two important steps to hold Nicolás Maduro and his cronies accountable for their blatant electoral fraud, their obstruction of competitive and inclusive elections, and their violation of the civil and human rights of our people.”
President Maduro: “The people are cowering and silent” due to crackdown on political opponents after fraudulent election
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech in support of his reelection to government supporters gathered at the presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 28, 2024, one month after the presidential election. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubilos)
Jean-Pierre said US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had imposed sanctions on 16 officials linked to Maduro and visa restrictions on several officials allied to the president for “disrupting” Venezuela's electoral process and “responsible for acts of repression.”
The spokesman also said the United States had so far imposed sanctions on more than 140 current and former Venezuelan officials and visa restrictions on about 2,000 people.
Critics argue the real problem is that Maduro's government continues to enjoy access to lucrative oil contracts.
“The current approach seems overly focused on one tactic: If you impose sanctions and at the same time oil licenses keep getting renewed, what's the point? All you're doing is feeding $20 billion a year to a kleptocracy,” Isaias Medina III, a former UN Security Council diplomat and Harvard Mason fellow, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“Real pressure comes from taking decisive action, such as issuing red notices from Interpol, blocking all drug shipments, and blocking coasts to stop oil movements. We must not simply issue warnings, but take concrete steps to expose their involvement in drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption and human rights violations. This includes working to have them removed from the UN for their illegality and forcing the international community to unite against them.”
Venezuela's July 28 general election was claimed by Maduro, who claimed victory by more than one million votes. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, was seeking a third six-year term. Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition, Vente Venezuela, has accused Maduro of trying to steal the vote. The Vente Venezuela camp released records showing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won by a margin of more than two to one. Gonzalez, the main opposition leader, and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have both disappeared since the election.
The opposition suffered a further setback when Venezuela's controversial Supreme Court recertified Maduro as the winner of a disputed election, which Maduro handpicked, and declared the results showing his defeat were faked.
US and Brazil to hold new elections in Venezuela despite government and opposition refusals
Supporters shout slogans during a demonstration against the results of the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 30, 2024. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
The United States, the European Union and some Latin American countries have rejected in its entirety the certification of Venezuela's Supreme Court, and President Maduro and his government have refused to release the official tally of last month's election.
Maduro's victory announcement sparked protests across Venezuela and prompted the regime to launch a violent crackdown, with security forces arresting more than 2,000 demonstrators, many of whom were detained in torture camps.
Earlier this month, the United States seized a plane owned by President Maduro in the Dominican Republic.
US seizes Venezuelan President Maduro's plane in Dominican Republic
U.S. authorities seized Maduro's plane and it was parked on a tarmac in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after being taken out of the Dominican Republic. (WFOR)
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned Maduro's plane to the United States on Monday morning, landing it in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he is now in US custody, a US official told Fox News after CNN first reported the story.
The plane, which officials described as Maduro's version of “Air Force One,” has been used by President Maduro on state visits around the world and was seized in the Dominican Republic after being purchased through a shell company in violation of sanctions laws and export controls, officials said. U.S. authorities cited a specific violation of Executive Order 13884, signed by former President Trump in 2019.
The plane, a Dassault Falcon 900-EX, was valued at $13 million. The seizure was the result of a joint investigation by HSI and the US Department of Commerce.
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In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order 13884, prohibiting U.S. persons from conducting transactions with anyone who has acted or is alleged to have acted directly or indirectly on behalf of the Venezuelan government, including members of the Maduro regime. According to the Department of Justice, in order to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Department of Commerce has also imposed export controls on items intended, in whole or in part, for the Venezuelan military or military information end users.
Fox News' Kayla Cora, Daniel Wallace and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
