Maduro decorated four military personnel sanctioned by the US

Nicolás Maduro decorated this Friday four military personnel who, along with 12 other officials of the country, were sanctioned by the United States on Thursday, saying they had “falsely” declared the president’s victory in the July 28 elections.

He president He said that the United States “aggressed” and “attacked” the four soldiers – whom he called “brave” – ​​with “so-called sanctions” for having “been protagonists” against “the attack of the fascist outbreak,” in reference to the post-election protests, unleashed against the official result that gave Maduro reelection, a victory that the opposition considers “fraudulent.”

“The American empire believes that public officials are intimidated (…) What they will never be able to understand is that their sanctions are decorations in the soul of patriots. “those who love our Venezuela,” said the president during an event broadcast by the state channel VTV.

The decorated and sanctioned military personnel are Sunday Hernandez Larezstrategic operational commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB); Elio Estradacommander of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB); Johan Hernandez Larezcommander of the Strategic Region of Integral Defense of the Capital of the GNB and Asdrúbal Brito, director of Criminal Investigations of the Dgcim (military counterintelligence).

FANB rejects US sanctions

Earlier, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, on behalf of the FANB, rejected the US sanctions, which he described as “unilateral coercive measures.”

The other 12 sanctioned officials include members of the Supreme Court of Justice, the National Electoral Council and the National Assembly (AN).

With these measures, they remain All personal property and assets are blocked, with no effect on state property or public companiesof the 16 Venezuelans in the North American nation and they are prohibited from carrying out financial transactions.

To date, more than 140 Venezuelan officials are under sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department, and nearly 2,000 individuals are subject to visa restrictions by the U.S. State Department.