On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated 16 Venezuelan officials appointed by or otherwise aligned with Nicolas Maduro who falsely claimed victory in Venezuela’s presidential election in July 2024. Maduro was designated by OFAC in 2017. According to OFAC, the officials were designated for their roles in obstructing Venezuela’s efforts to engage in a transparent, competitive and inclusive presidential election process and for violating the civil and human rights of the Venezuelan people. The designees are military, intelligence, and government officials, including leaders of the National Electoral Council (“CNE”) in Venezuela, who allegedly impeded the release of accurate election results and are responsible for acts of repression, including indiscriminate arrests, intimidation tactics, and censorship intended to silence Maduro’s opposition. Their actions include the issuance of an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Venezuela’s successful president candidate who was reportedly forced to leave Venezuela and seek asylum in Spain.
The Department of State also concurrently imposed new visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 9931 upon Maduro-aligned officials accused of undermining the electoral process and responsible for acts of repression.
The OFAC designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13692, as amended, for contributing to the situation in Venezuela by taking anti-democratic actions and violating human rights. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the designated persons within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving a designated person. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.