The United States on Monday imposed new sanctions on Venezuela to prevent President Nicolas Maduro from selling off government debt, The New York Times reported. The Donald Trump administration, which refused to recognise Maduro’s victory in the elections on Sunday, had also imposed sanctions ahead of the presidential polls.
“The illegitimate result of this fake process is a further blow to the proud democratic tradition of Venezuela,” US Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday. “The United States will not sit idly by as Venezuela crumbles and the misery of their brave people continues.”
The measures will bar American companies and citizens from buying debt or accounts receivable from the Venezuelan government, including Petroleos de Venezuela, the government-owned oil company that is the parent company of Citgo Petroleum Corporation. This would shut down an “avenue for corruption” in Venezuela and stop Maduro and members of his government from making money, The New York Times quoted unidentified officials as saying.
The Venezuelan government said these “illegal measures” would restrict its ability to liquidate state assets and debt in the United States, Reuters reported. “[The sanctions] are madness, barbaric, and in absolute contradiction to international law,” foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said.
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