US sanctions target Venezuela's first lady and president's inner circle

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on the closed circle of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing the first lady, the defense minister, the vice president and other allies of helping the socialist leader "plunder" wealth from the country.

The sanctions were announced when President Trump denounced Maduro as the momentum leading to hyperinflation, the repression of human rights violations and the transformation of millions of Venezuelans into refugees.

"All the nations of the world must resist the socialism and misery they bring to everyone," Trump said in a speech to the United States General Assembly. "In this spirit, we ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela."

Sanctions mark last of increasingly restrictive measures imposed by Trump administration as part of Maduro government crackdown on political opponents, collapse of the country's economy and corruption in the oil industry by the state. Maduro himself was sanctioned in July 2017.

"President Maduro is counting on his entourage to maintain his grip on power, while his regime is systematically plundering what's left of Venezuela's wealth," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "We continue to appoint loyalists who allow Maduro to consolidate his hold on the army and the government while the Venezuelan people are suffering."

A spokesman for the Venezuelan government in Caracas said that there was no immediate comment on the sanctions.

US officials have also announced $ 48 million in humanitarian aid for Venezuelans.

The sanctions target some of Maduro's closest allies, including his wife, Cilia Flores, formerly head of the National Assembly and former left-wing lawyer Hugo Chávez, who died in 2013 after appointing his successor Maduro. A full-fledged political figure, she is deeply involved in the administration of Maduro. Last year, two of his nephews were convicted and sentenced by the New York court for drug trafficking.

Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president, is one of his most trusted advisors. Previously, she headed the Constituent Assembly, a body created last year that critics see as a determining factor in the attribution of Maduro to dictatorial powers. When Rodriguez was foreign minister, she fiercely defended the government in several international places, pushing anti-Maduro measures before the Organization of American States.

His brother, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez, was also targeted on Tuesday. A trained psychiatrist, he orchestrates the national media apparatus of the country. He was also close to Chavez, as vice president in 2007.

Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Minister of Defense, took office in 2014 and helped organize the operations that helped stop street protests last year, during which more than 100 people were killed.

While Maduro's political opponents were jailed and hyperflation mounted at a staggering rate – hundreds of thousands of percentage points – the Trump administration tried to pressure Maduro to withdraw. Last year, government officials secretly met with military officials who would be interested in a coup d'etat, although US officials eventually decided not to support the conspirators.

But the animosity has helped Maduro to create a narrative that foreigners are conducting an "economic war" against his government.

The latest sanctions will probably not be the last ones.

"The United States will continue to use all the diplomatic and economic tools available to support the efforts of the Venezuelan people to restore their democracy," said a statement from the Treasury Department, adding that he would consider lifting the sanctions refuse to take part in human rights violations, denounce abuses committed by the government and fight against corruption in Venezuela.

Faiola brought back from Miami. Rachelle Krygier in Miami contributed to this report.