One by one: these are the 16 Venezuelan officials sanctioned by the US
For weeks there had been speculation about the timing and type of sanctions that Washington would use to punish the Maduro regime for not recognizing the results of the elections of July 28 and the repression that has been taking place since then.
A question that was cleared up today with the announcement from the State Department of the Treasury.
For now, everything indicates that the decision was to focus on individual sanctions against the heads of the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court of Justice. for being part of a widespread fraud that seeks to ignore González’s victory.
Likewise, against the prosecutors who have issued arrest warrants against the opposition – especially the one against the opposition candidate – and the leaders of the armed forces who have participated in the campaign of repression against civil society, the media and opposition parties.
The United States, on the other hand, had already partially reimposed last April the sanctions against gas and oil that it temporarily lifted in 2023 to facilitate a transparent and democratic electoral process but leaving in force the individual licenses it has granted to multinationals such as Chevron, which have once again invested in the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the country and have given the regime a temporary respite.
Today @StateDeptSpox announced that the U.S. has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several Maduro-aligned officials and sanctioned 16 malign actors for violating the civil and human rights of the Venezuelan people and undermining democracy in Venezuela. https://t.co/bCiP5Uuqw5
— Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) September 12, 2024
These licenses are currently under review and sources in Washington say they will be removed in the near future during a second round of sanctions if there is no change in the current situation.
Something that few expect to happen between now and January, when Maduro’s new term would begin. However, according to sources, Joe Biden’s administration has wanted to leave that stick in reserve to have room for maneuver in case the negotiations and good offices being carried out by countries such as Colombia, Mexico and Brazil prosper.
Although the issue of international oil prices is not one that is keeping Washington up at night at the moment, the proximity of the presidential elections in this country and a possible increase in the price of crude oil is a factor of consideration. Additionally, officials are aware of the damage that this would cause to companies such as Chevron, which have invested significant resources to restore production in Venezuela.
According to the US Treasury, those sanctioned are:
- Caryslia Beatriz Rodriguez Rodriguezpresident of the Supreme Court of Justice, known for her military service in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. She is currently the president of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ, the same one that ruled as valid the victory of Nicolás Maduro.
- Fanny Beatriz Marquez Corderovice president of the TSJ and member of the Electoral Chamber. According to the videos released by the Government, Márquez participated in the expert appraisal of the material sent by the National Electoral Council to certify Maduro’s victory.
- Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares He is a general of the Bolivarian National Guard who now serves as a magistrate and vice president of the Political Administrative Chamber of the TSJ. He was also the attorney general of the army.
- Rosalba Gil Pachecodirector of the CNE and president of the CNE’s Civil Registry and Electoral Commission. From 2021 to 2023, she was secretary of the National Assembly with a Chavista majority. She is accused of carrying out a new regulation on the eligibility of electoral observers.
- Innocent Antonio Figueroa Arizaletaa judge at the TSJ since 2014. He participated in the expert opinion carried out by the TSJ. Since 2019 he has been sanctioned by Canada.
- Malachi Gil Rodrigueza judge since 2010 and currently president of the Political Administrative Chamber of the TSJ, was also vice president of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ. He is sanctioned by Canada.
- Edward Miguel Briceño Cisneros, Special judge of the First Court of First Instance with jurisdiction over terrorism. He was the one who issued the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia.
- Luis Ernesto Duenez Reyesa prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This prosecutor issued the official request for the arrest warrant against González.
- Antonio Jose Meneses Rodriguez, Secretary General of the CNE. Together with Rosalba Gil, he carried out the new instruction on electoral observation. It is known that before arriving at the electoral body, he was one of the signatories of the disqualification of María Corina Machado by the Comptroller’s Office.
- Dinorah Yoselin Bustamante Gateprosecutor of the Specialized Court of First Instance of Venezuela, an office within the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim). It is known that she was the one who gave orders for the arrests of some opposition parliamentarians.
- Pedro Jose Infante Apariciofirst vice president of the National Assembly headed by Jorge Rodríguez.
- Sunday Antonio Hernandez Larezsince 2021, is the Strategic Operational Commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). He was accused of repressing, threatening and harassing during the 2019 demonstrations.
- Elio Ramon Estrada Paredescommander of the Bolivarian National Guard and head of the Anti-Terrorist Directorate of the GNB, which carries out intelligence work to pursue the opposition.
- Johan Alexander Hernandez Larezcommander of the GNB’s Capital Comprehensive Defense Network.
- Asdrubal Jose Brito HernandezDirector of Criminal Investigations of the DGCIM and accused as one of the torturers according to United Nations reports.
- Miguel Antonio Muñoz Palaciosdeputy director of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin), the political police of the Venezuelan regime, responsible for persecuting and imprisoning dissidents.
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Venezuela rejected “the new crime of aggression committed by the government of the United States of America against Venezuela by imposing unilateral, illegitimate and illegal coercive measures on a group of State officials,” the text reads.
The document released by Foreign Minister Yván Gil states that the measures demonstrate “their total disregard for international law, the self-determination of peoples and the democratic will of Venezuelans, in a rude act that seeks to ingratiate themselves with a political class that has resorted to fascist and violent practices to overthrow, without success, Bolivarian democracy.”
The Anti-Blockade Observatory, a Chavista initiative, counted 947 “unilateral coercive measures” and complained that the United States “imposes sanctions on Venezuelan officials of the Supreme Court of Justice, CNE, Bolivarian National Armed Forces and Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
Through his X account, Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, assured that his country’s measures against 16 Venezuelan officials “malign actors” are due “to violate the civil and human rights of the Venezuelan people and undermine democracy in Venezuela.”
Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), to which El Nacional belongs, is a network of leading media outlets founded in 1991, which promotes democratic values, independent press and freedom of expression in Latin America through quality journalism for our audiences.
Independent journalism needs the support of its readers to continue and ensure that uncomfortable news that they don’t want you to read remains within your reach. Today, with your support, we will continue working hard for censorship-free journalism!