The US has increased from 15 to 25 million dollars the reward for information that leads to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, who today was sworn in in the Parliament, controlled by Chavismo, as president of Venezuela for the period 2025-2031, for crimes related to drug trafficking.
The announcement is part of a new battery of sanctions that the Joe Biden Administration imposes after Maduro was sworn into office amid accusations of “coup d’état” by the opposition, which claims the electoral victory of Edmundo González Urrutia.
In addition to the reward for Maduro, the US offers 25 million for information that leads to the capture of the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, and another 15 million for the arrest of the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino.
Likewise, the Treasury Department imposed economic sanctions on eight senior officials of the Venezuelan Government whom it accuses of “repression”, such as the president of the state oil company PDVSA, Héctor Obregón Pérez, or the Minister of Transportation, Ramón Celestino Velásquez.
The Biden Government, which will be succeeded on January 20 by the new Donald Trump Administration, stated that it will take “additional measures” to limit the income of Maduro and his representatives by analyzing, case by case, the embargo of Venezuelan assets in the outside.
At the same time, the US will extend the temporary protection status (TPS) granted to thousands of Venezuelans for a period of another 18 months so that they can reside and work in the country.
Today’s announcement does not include the cancellation of licenses for foreign companies such as Chevron to extract oil from Venezuela.
Response to the “events” in Venezuela
A senior government official explained in a telephone press conference that the sanctions imposed are a response to “recent events in Venezuela, including the false presidential inauguration of Maduro,” who was sworn into office after the electoral authority proclaimed him. winner of the elections, without offering the disaggregated results of these.
The same source added that González Urrutia “should be sworn in today as president of Venezuela” because there is “indisputable evidence” that he won the July 28 elections, according to the minutes presented by the opposition.
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