MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK imposes sanctions on Bolivarian regime officials

Maduro's regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people, Lammy explained

The British Government Friday slapped additional sanctions on 15 members of Nicolás Maduro's regime in a move to encourage Venezuelan officials to respect democratic principles, to comply with international human rights law, and to respect human rights, the Foreign Office announced. London also denounced the Bolivarian leader's illegitimate claim to the presidency following the “fraudulent” July 28, 2024, elections.

“Nicolás Maduro's claim to retain power is fraudulent. The outcome of the July elections was neither free nor fair and his regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy explained.

“Today's sanctions send a clear message. The UK will not stand idly by while Maduro continues to oppress, undermine democracy, and commit egregious human rights violations. All political prisoners must be released and the ongoing repression must end. We will continue to support the people of Venezuela in their struggle for a democratic future,” he added.

Among those sanctioned are Supreme Court Chief Justice Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez Rodríguez, who helped legitimize the July 28 elections, and the director of Criminal Investigations of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, Asdrúbal José Brito Hernández, an organization responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses, including the use of sexual and gender-based violence, torture, assassinations and arbitrary detention of members of the opposition and civil society, the Foreign Office mentioned in a statement.

Individuals reached by Friday's sanctions will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes, denied entry to the UK, and prevented from holding funds or economic resources in the UK.

The Maduro regime has been identified by international organizations as guilty of political repression, including politically motivated arbitrary detentions, and is being investigated for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, London also argued.

There are substantial grounds - including the findings of a group of experts from the United Nations and The Carter Center - that the results declared by the regime in the July presidential election were not independently verified or transparent, and there is evidence to suggest that the opposition candidate obtained significantly more votes than the ruling Venezuelan regime claimed.

When protests erupted following the elections, the state arrested more than 2,400 protesters, including minors, and the ensuing repression resulted in 25 deaths.

Systemic repression has contributed to a culture of fear as fundamental freedoms have been eroded in Venezuela, and today the UK is taking action against some of the architects of this alarming political and humanitarian crisis, it was also explained.

As the UK government implements its Blueprint for Change, strengthening its partnerships overseas and working with allies to defend global security and democratic values remains central to its ambitions to reconnect Britain to the world.

Other officials reached by Friday's sanctions were: Calixto Antonio Ortega Ríos (Supreme Court Justice), Carlos Enrique Quintero Cuevas (Vice-president of the National Electoral Council - CNE), Domingo Antonio Hernández Lárez (Commander in Chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and Commander of the Strategic Region of Integral Capital Defense), Elio Ramón Estrada Paredes (Commander of the Bolivarian National Guard), Fanny Beatriz Márquez Cordero (Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice), Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta (Supreme Court Justice), Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares (Supreme Court Justice), Lourdes Benicia Suárez Anderson (Supreme Court Justice), Luis Fernando Damiani Bustillos (Supreme Court Justice), Malaquías Gil Rodríguez (Supreme Court of Justice), Miguel Antonio Muñoz Palacios (Deputy Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service), Rosalba Gil Pacheco (CNE Principal), Tania d'Amelio Cardiet (Supreme Court Justice).

This measure is in addition to the existing UK sanctions against the Maduro regime, the FCO also pointed out.