U.S. sanctions Venezuelan officials to pressure Maduro - sources

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#WORLD NEWS
JULY 26, 2017 / 10:13 AM / 20 MINUTES AGO

Exclusive: U.S. sanctions Venezuelan officials to pressure Maduro - sources

Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on 13 senior officials of Venezuela's government, military and state oil company PDVSA on Wednesday, U.S. officials said, seeking to ratchet up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to scrap plans for a controversial new congress.

The United States decided to target individuals for alleged human rights abuses, undermining democracy and corruption, while sparing the country for now from broader financial or "sectoral" sanctions against its vital oil industry – though such actions, the officials told Reuters, are still under consideration.

The move is aimed at showing Maduro's socialist government that U.S. President Donald Trump is prepared to make good on his threat of "strong and swift economic actions" if it goes ahead with plans for a vote on Sunday to establish an assembly that critics say will cement Maduro as dictator, the officials said.

The U.S. Treasury Department planned to issue a sanctions announcement later on Wednesday, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The names of those being sanctioned were not immediately provided for publication.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-sanctions-idUSKBN1AB1YP

[GatoGordo]

1. Pfft. They don't care.

Go after their Andorran bank accounts. That is meaningful and will outrage the Chavistas.

[Marksman_91]

2. Not just Andorra

Must go after their Swiss bank accounts too.

[GatoGordo]

3. Chavez' daughter is to be worth an estimated $4.2 billion

Not a bad gig to be an ambassador in her Daddy's political machine.

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/71424/20150812/maria-gabriela-ch%C3%A1vez-net-worth-hugo-ch%C3%A1vezs-daughter-richest-woman-in-venezuela-worth-4-2-billion.htm