On Wednesday, one of late Hugo Chávez’s brothers and seven other Venezuelan politicians were sanctioned by the United States for their ties to the controversial Constituent Assembly led by President Nicolás Maduro.
The Treasury Department applied financial measures against Adán Chávez, Francisco Ameliach, Erika Farías, Carmen Meléndez, Ramón Vivas, Hermann Escarrá, Tania D’Amelio and Bladimir Lugo, for being involved in some way with the Constituent Party that rules since Friday in Venezuela with absolute powers, facing a wide international rejection.
President Maduro has installed this illegitimate Constituent Assembly to further strengthen his dictatorship and continues to tighten his grip on the country,”
said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in the statement announcing new measures against the politicians.
The contempt of this regime for the will of the Venezuelan people is unacceptable,”
added the Secretary, highlighting US support to opposition to tyranny.
The sanctions involve the freezing of all assets that are subject to US jurisdiction, and the ban on US citizens from doing business with them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department (OFAC) implemented these measures in compliance with a 2015 decree authorizing sanctions against officials and former officials of the Venezuelan government and others who undermine democracy in that country.
The government of Donald Trump had already sanctioned Maduro on July 31st, and 13 other Venezuelan officials and ex-collaborators, accused of breaking democracy, corruption or violation of human rights.