Biden sanctions more Maduro aides, marking four months since stolen Venezuela election

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration issued new sanctions against Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela on Wednesday, marking four months since he refused to cede power after losing the country’s presidential election.

The new measures include sanctions against 21 security and cabinet-level officials in the Maduro government as well as visa restrictions on an unspecified number of Maduro-aligned officials, senior Biden administration officials told reporters Wednesday morning.

The Organization of American States, the United States and its allies determined that Maduro lost the July presidential election to Edmundo González, who has since fled to Spain amid brutal repression by Maduro’s security forces against democratic opposition figures. To date, the Treasury Department has sanctioned over 150 Venezuelan individuals it has identified as part of the antidemocratic crackdown.

“The individuals sanctioned today are senior Venezuelan officials, including from the Maduro-aligned Bolivarian National Guard, Bolivarian national police, militia, national intelligence service, and general directorate of military intelligence,” one senior administration official said.

A second senior official said the administration is still reviewing licenses that had been granted for the sale of Venezuelan oil, and left open the possibility that the administration could take action on them before the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January.

“We will continue to promote accountability for Maduro and his representatives so long as they continue repressing the Venezuelan people,” the official said. “I would just add that, just because we have not taken an action so far does not mean we will not take an action in the future – though obviously, as we’ve said many times, we do not preview our sanctions decisions.”

The U.S. officials also left open the possibility of senior administration leaders meeting González in the coming weeks.

While González said he hopes to return to Venezuela to take office in early January, administration officials said they have not received a request from him for security assistance to do so.