New US sanctions on Venezuela

MEMBERS OF ALL-POWERFUL, LOYALIST BODY THE TARGET

The US imposed new sanctions on crisis-hit Venezuela on Wednesday, targeting members of a controversial, all-powerful, loyalist assembly installed last week to bolster what Washington calls the “dictatorship” of President Nicolas Maduro.

The measures were aimed at six members of the so-called Constituent Assembly – among them the brother of late president Hugo Chavez – as well as a military officer in charge of security for the body, and a board member of the national electoral authority.

They added to previous US sanctions on Maduro himself, imposed just before the assembly was elected on July 30 in a vote marred by violence, fraud allegations and an opposition boycott.

“President Maduro swore in this illegitimate Constituent Assembly to further entrench his dictatorship, and continues to tighten his grip on the country,” said US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

“This regime’s disregard for the will of the Venezuelan people is unacceptable, and the United States will stand with them in opposition to tyranny until Venezuela is restored to a peaceful and prosperous democracy.”

The Venezuelan government reacted by saying the US was “making a fool of itself in front of the world”.

It “doesn’t respect any criterion, any basic principle of international law”, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told state television. “Venezuela can’t be sanctioned for anything, nor by anybody.”

The US announcement came as the Constituent Assembly and Venezuela’s Supreme Court took actions to limit the opposition’s ability to challenge Maduro.

The Assembly has established a “truth commission” which Maduro has said should examine alleged crimes by opposition leaders. – AFP