Treasury hits Venezuela's Maduro regime members with sanctions

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The Treasury Department announced Thursday sanctions on 16 officials aligned with Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro for obstructing the country's presidential election while violating civil and human rights.

The sanctions cover a wide range of officials from military, intelligence officials and others who assisted in an alleged pressure campaign to intimidate the opposition that included detentions and censorship.

"Today, the United States is taking decisive action against Maduro and his representatives for their repression of the Venezuelan people and denial of their citizens' rights to a free and fair election," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.

"The Treasury Department is targeting key officials involved in Maduro's fraudulent and illegitimate claims of victory and his brutal crackdown on free expression following the election, as the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans call for change."

The Treasury accused Maduro and his officials of violating the political and civil rights of the opposition to silence them. Eventually, independent candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who many believe won the election, escaped for political asylum in Spain after Maduro's armed force put out an arrest warrant for him.

Targeted for sanctions include: Judge Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta; Judge Malaquias Gil Rodriguez; Judge Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares; Caryslia Beatriz Rodriguez, of the Election Chamber; Fanny Beatriz Marquez Cordero, of the Election Commission; Judge Edward Miguel Briceno Cisneros; and Luis Ernesto Duenez Reyes, public prosecutor.

Others include Rosalba Gil Pacheco, of the Civil and Electoral Registry Commission; Antonio Jose Meneses Rodriguez, CNE secretary general; Dinorah Yoselin Bustamante Puerta, prosecutor; Pedro Jose Infante Aparicio, vice president of the National Assembly; and Domingo Antonio Hernandez Larez, of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.

Also, Elio Ramon Estrada Paredes, of the Bolivarian National Guard; Johan Alexander Hernandez Larez, commander of REDI Capital of the GNB; Asdrubal Jose Brito Hernandez, director of criminal investigations of the DGCIM; and Miguel Antonio Munoz Palacios, deputy director of the Bolivariano de Inteligencia.