US sanctions Venezuela officials over 'election fraud'

The United States said on Thursday that it was imposing sanctions on 16 allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

It comes in response to "widespread voter fraud" in the country's election that saw Maduro re-elected, which has been rejected by Washington as well as several European and Latin American nations.

Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized by the US and other countries as winner of the July 28 presidential election, was forced to flee to Spain after Maduro's government issued a warrant for the opposition leader's arrest.

In response, Caracas rejected the sanctions imposed by Washington as a "crime of aggression", in a foreign ministry statement.

"Venezuela rejects, in the strongest terms, the new crime of aggression committed by the government of the United States of America against Venezuela," Maduro's government said.

"[They are] seeking to ingratiate itself with a political class that has resorted to fascist and violent practices to overthrow, without success, the Bolivarian democracy."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the US would "continue to promote accountability for those undermining democracy in Venezuela."

"Rather than respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives have falsely claimed victory while repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to cling to power by force," Blinken said.

US Treasury department target key officials

The individuals targeted for sanctions include senior figures in the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), as well as military and intelligence officials alleged to have led a campaign of post-election repression.

"The US 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," said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. 

As part of the first punitive US measures in response to Maduro's disputed re-election claim, Blinken said Washington was also imposing visa restrictions on an unspecified number of "Maduro-aligned" officials.

Many countries have denounced Maduro for claiming victory without providing proof, demanded full transparency, and accused him of tampering with the vote count.

A senior US official told reporters on a call that "we believe that there is clear evidence that Mr Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in this election, and therefore that fact needs to be respected and validated by Venezuelan authorities."

km/jcg (AFP, AP, Reuters)