20.07.2017, UK
US President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing sanctions against a number of high-ranking Venezuelan officials “for human rights violations”, American officials reported to Reuters on July 18.
The sanctions could have been officially introduced as soon as on Tuesday, July 18, but their announcement was postponed. The sanctions are likely to target the Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and the Vice-President of the ruling Socialist Party Diosdado Cabello, US officials said privately.
The Venezuelan opposition stands against President Nicolás Maduro’s attempts to resolve the political crisis by gathering the Constitutional Assembly. The idea of gathering the Assembly is also opposed by Western countries including the European Union.
On July 17, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose economic sanctions against the Venezuelan oil sector, which provides 95 per cent of the budget’s export revenues, if the Assembly is elected. Today, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry insisted that the political sovereignty of the country must be maintained, and it claimed that the threats would not stop the election of the Constitutional Assembly.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
