EU renews anti-Venezuela sanctions for a year

The European Union has announced its renewal of sanctions against dozens of Venezuelan officials over propped up allegations linking them to rights abuses and undermining “democracy” in the Central American nation.

The hostile measure, declared on Thursday, is in line with persisting brutal sanction imposed on Venezuela by Washington and would extend travel bans and asset freezes on 36 Venezuelans for another year, in addition to the EU’s pre-existing arms embargo against the country.

“The decision was taken in light of the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, with persistent actions undermining democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” the EU claimed in a statement.

The Western bloc of nations further claimed that such measures are aimed at authorities of President Nicolás Maduro’s government and not meant to harm the Venezuelan people.

The move came as the EU joined the hawkish administration of US President Donald Trump in sponsoring Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaidó, who as head of the country’s National Assembly declared himself “interim president” on January 2019 . The arbitrary move was followed by a botched US-backed coup attempt against the elected government in Caracas.

In September, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also announced sanctions on several Venezuelan lawmakers for supporting Maduro and for what he described as their participation in the rigging of the upcoming elections in December.

In a national address following the US measure, Maduro slammed the sanctions on the Venezuelan lawmakers and compared the Trump administration to “a mafia” that forces other countries to give in to its demands by force and through military “threats, extortion, blackmail, and aggressions.”

Washington had previously imposed several rounds of crippling sanctions against oil-rich Venezuela aimed at ousting Maduro and replacing him with Guaido, who has toured the US and European capitals to call for more sanctions against his country, insisting that such destabilizing efforts are necessary to “restore democracy” in Venezuela.