U.S. targets Maduro regime with sanctions, visa restrictions over disputed election

Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The United States has unleashed sanctions and visa restrictions targeting those the Biden administration accuses of interfering in Venezuela's recent presidential election and silencing opposition voices.

Sixteen officials aligned with Nicolas Maduro , Venezuela's authoritarian president, were sanctioned Thursday, including members of the National Electoral Council, known as the CNE, and judges of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. Military intelligence and government officials were also hit by the Treasury.

The visa restrictions were imposed by the State Department on an undisclosed number of Maduro-aligned officials.

"The United States is taking decisive action against Maduro and his representatives for their repression of the Venezuelan people and denial of their citizens' rights to a free and fair election," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a statement .

Venezuela has been again plunged into a political crisis as the United States and other democratic nations reject the legitimacy of CNE-announced election results that say Maduro won a third term in office in late July's presidential contest.

Late last month, Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice affirmed Maduro's win, despite opposition candidate Edmundo González, citing tally sheets, stating he won the presidency with some 67% of the vote.

Many nations have since rejected the election results as the CNE has failed to produce any evidence to support Maduro's alleged win.

They have also voiced support for González with the United States being the most significant powerbroker.

Since the election, the Maduro has detained more than 2,400 people who have taken to the streets in opposition of his rule and issued an arrest warrant for González on charges of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes related the election. He has since fled to Spain.

Senior U.S. State Department officials told reporters via teleconference Thursday that they were targeting those involved with usurping the rights of Venezuelans to free and fair elections and targeting opposition.

Among those hit were Luis Ernesto Duenez Reyes, the prosecutor who made the request for González to be arrested, and Edward Miguel Briceno Cisneros, the judge who issued the warrant to go after the opposition leader.

"We are taking these actions today because it has become abundantly clear to us not only that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's presidential election on July 28, but also that Maduro and his representatives are intent on denying this fact and instead seek to cling to power at all costs," one of the officials said.

The officials accused Maduro and his regime of indiscriminately arresting Venezuelans and deploying intimidation tactics to silence the opposition, such as issuing the arrest warrant for González.

The sanctions freeze U.S.-held assets of those named while denying U.S. persons from doing business with them.

The Treasury has sanctioned more than 140 current or former Venezuelan officials and the State Department has identified nearly 2,000 people for potential visa restrictions for their rule in undermining democracy, engaging in significant corruption, or violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people.