With the official announcement on Monday 22 February of the decision to sanction 19 additional high-ranking officials of the Maduro regime, the European Union is now freezing the funds of and banning 55 Venezuelan dignitaries from entering its territory (see EUROPE 12661/2).
These 19 people were added to the list of those subject to EU sanctions because they are “responsible for undermining the opposition’s electoral rights and the democratic functioning of the National Assembly, and for serious violations of human rights” in Venezuela, the EU Council said in a statement.
This includes several officials of the National Electoral Council, including its president, Indira Alfonzo.
At the end of January, the EU expressed its readiness to adopt new sanctions against the Maduro regime because of a deterioration in the political situation in the country with the takeover by the ruling power of the National Assembly, which was the last bastion of political opposition in the country, following parliamentary elections in December whose legitimacy was contested by the EU (see EUROPE 12643/7).
The EU cannot disregard the power of Nicolás Maduro and will continue to work with “all stakeholders” to promote a political solution to the crisis.
See the list of the 19 people sanctioned by the EU: https://bit.ly/3pFKXLH (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)