U.S. sanctions Venezuela's opposition to Maduro

　　The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on five Venezuelan congressmen on the 22nd, on the grounds that they support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his “manipulated” Venezuelan parliamentary elections to be held in December.

　　The sanctions ordered the five persons mentioned above to participate in "handing over control of the Venezuelan opposition party to politicians attached to the Maduro regime" and assisting the Maduro government to "manipulate parliamentary elections."

　　US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement: "The United States remains committed to...ensure that the Venezuelan people receive the free and fair elections they deserve."

　　The newly added sanctions include Miguel Bonente, Guillermo Luces, Bernave Gutierrez, Zeem Boucharan, who have been ordered or are waiting to be approved as the leader of the four major opposition parties in Venezuela. , And the leader of the Venezuelan left-wing organization "Tupamaru" movement, Williams Benavides, who supports the government.

　　According to the US, after the Venezuelan National Electoral Commission announced on July 1 that the parliamentary elections would be held on December 6, the opposition leader Juan Guaido and 37 opposition parties declared that they would boycott the election.

In the past three months, the Supreme Court has approved three government "designated" candidates to be the leaders of the three largest opposition parties after hearings. Butcharan has also applied to the court to replace the leader of the fourth largest opposition party.

　　The U.S. sanctions order will freeze the assets of the above-mentioned five people in the United States, and generally prohibit Americans from economic contacts with them.

　　Maduro made a televised speech later on the 22nd, saying that he "refuses" the sanctions imposed by the US government.

"This group of people who rule the United States act like a mafia, threatening, blackmailing, blackmailing and attacking."

　　Reuters reported that most opposition parties in the US government and Venezuela pointed out that the December elections may be manipulated to facilitate the victory of the United Socialist Party, the ruling party led by Maduro.

　　In the past two years, the US government has continuously escalated economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government, accusing it of fraudulent presidential elections in 2018, refusing to recognize Maduro's re-election qualification, and subsequently supporting Venezuela’s former president of the National Congress Guaido to make himself interim president.

Guaido is endorsed by some European and Latin American countries.

The opposition holds the majority of seats in the Venezuelan parliament, but has not been able to step down Madurola.

(Shen Min) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)