USA strikes Maduro's diplomatic apparatus at the highest level

WASHINGTON.-

United States

today the pressure against the government of

Nicolás Maduro

imposing sanctions on Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and promising new measures against Caracas and "those responsible for conducting their diplomacy".

Washington puts forward a series of sanctions against Venezuela's political and financial institutions as part of its campaign for the recognition of the leader of the opposition

Juan Guaidó

, who in January was proclaimed interim president considering that the second term of Maduro initiated on January 10 lacks legitimacy.

"The United States will not look at how the illegitimate regime of Maduro deprives the Venezuelan people of its wealth, its humanity and its right to democracy," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

After the recognition of Guaidó, the two countries broke off their diplomatic relations and began a struggle to obtain the right to exercise the diplomatic representation of Venezuela in Washington.
currently occupied by left-wing activists in favor of Maduro.

Arreaza warned yesterday from the UN in New York that if the US entered the Caracas Embbady in Washington, his country could take reciprocal action.

The sanctions announced yesterday also affect Judge Carol Padilla, involved in the arrest last month of Roberto Marrero, chief of staff of Guaidó.

"Because of today's sanctions, all the properties of these people and all the properties that they own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more, that are in the United States or that are in position or under the control of people The United States is stuck, "said the Treasury Department.

The United States reiterated that these sanctions need not be permanent and aimed at a "change in behavior".

A series of sanctions

Venezuela, plunged into an unprecedented economic crisis in the recent history of the region, is since January a power struggle between Guaidó, recognized by more than 50 countries as interim president, and Maduro, supported by foreign countries such as

Russia

and

China

.

At the same time, the country is experiencing the worst crisis in its modern history, with a hyperinflation expected of 10 000 000% this year and a shortage of essential goods which has caused the migration of more than 2.7 million people since 2015, according to the UN.

The Treasury Department has indicated that these badets should be reported to the Foreign Assets Control Bureau (FOCA).

The series of sanctions that the United States took against the Government of Venezuela began in 2014 under the government of

Barack Obama

, with a law that imposed sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in Venezuela.

Already under the government of

Donald Trump

, the Treasury sanctioned eight members of the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela for decisions that "usurped" the authority of the National Assembly, the democratically elected and controlled parliament since January 2016 by a majority of the parties d & # 39; opposition.

In July 2017, the Treasury sanctioned Maduro a few days after the holding of elections for a constituent national badembly to impose "an authoritarian regime".

After the start of Maduro's second term on January 10, the United States imposed sanctions on the oil company PDVSA to prevent Maduro from diverting Venezuelan badets until power can be transferred. to a transitional government or the election of a new government. democratic standards.

AFP Agency