Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration froze all Venezuelan government assets Monday in a dramatic escalation of tensions with socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, who has clung to power in the face of mounting international pressure.

The ban on Americans doing business with Venezuela’s government takes effect immediately. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump justified the move by citing Maduro’s continued “usurpation” of power and human rights abuses by groups loyal to him.

While the order falls short of an outright trade embargo, it represents the most determined U.S. action to remove Maduro since the Trump administration recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader in January. As such, it places Venezuela on par with adversaries such as Cuba, Syria, Iran and North Korea, who have also come under strident U.S. measures.

Previous sanctions have targeted dozens of Venezuelan government insiders, as well as the South American nation’s oil industry, the source of almost all of its export earnings.

Americans will be banned from engaging in transactions with anyone determined to be assisting Maduro or his government. The same Maduro supporters will also be banned from entering the U.S.

Exceptions will be allowed for the delivery of food, medicine and clothing. Transactions with Venezuela’s still sizable private sector do not appear to be affected either.

The executive order comes the day before Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross represent the U.S. at the International Conference for Democracy.

The conference is being attended by representatives from more than 50 nations that recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s president and consider Maduro’s re-election last year to be fraudulent.

Moments after the executive order was announced, Bolton tweeted that he was looking ahead to what he hopes will be a “productive” day in Lima, Peru.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Venezuela and Uruguay on Monday warned their citizens to exercise caution when traveling in the United States.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Areaza advised citizens to “take extreme precautions or postpone their travels in the face of the proliferation of acts of violence and hate crimes.”