USA: Condemning Nicolás Maduro’s Illegitimate Attempt to Seize Power in Venezuela

Today, Nicolás Maduro held an illegitimate presidential inauguration in Venezuela in a desperate attempt to seize power. The Venezuelan people and world know the truth – Maduro clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency.

The United States rejects the National Electoral Council’s fraudulent announcement that Maduro won the presidential election and does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as the president of Venezuela. President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia should be sworn in, and the democratic transition should begin. We stand ready to support a return to democracy in Venezuela.

In solidarity with the Venezuelan people, the U.S. Government and our partners around the world are taking action today. The Department of State is increasing the reward offers to up to $25 million each for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Nicolás Maduro and Maduro’s Minister of Interior Diosdado Cabello. The Department of State is also adding a new reward offer of up to $15 million for Maduro’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López. These three reward offers stem from criminal narco trafficking indictments announced in March 2020. The State Department is also taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned individuals for their roles in undermining the electoral process or in acts of repression in Venezuela. To date, the Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on nearly 2,000 Maduro-aligned individuals.

Concurrently, the Department of Treasury is imposing sanctions on eight Maduro-aligned individuals supporting Maduro’s illegitimate assertion of authority and repressive acts in Venezuela, including members of the security forces and political figures. These designations represent the third tranche of such measures since Venezuela’s July 28 election. Including today’s actions, the United States has individually sanctioned 187 current or former Maduro-aligned individuals for repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in a desperate and illegitimate attempt to take power by force.

Alongside similar actions taken today by partners, including Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, Treasury’s sanctions demonstrate a message of solidarity with the Venezuelan people and further elevate international efforts to maintain pressure on Maduro and his representatives.

In a separate action, the Department of Homeland Security today announced that the 2023 designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status will be extended for 18 months, based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime.

The United States reaffirms our support for the peaceful democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people. Venezuelans’ voices should be heard and their votes respected. We condemn Nicolás Maduro and his representatives for resorting to violence and intimidation against their political opponents and the Venezuelan public. We call for the immediate release of all unjustly detained political prisoners, who remain behind bars merely for exercising their rights. Venezuelans must be allowed to express their political opinions peacefully, including through the exercise of freedoms of peaceful assembly and of expression, without fear of reprisal.

In the face of this, we commend the Venezuelan people for their courage and commitment to democracy. Human rights abuses, repression, and denial of due process have not silenced their voice.

Treasury’s sanctions actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13692, “Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela,” as amended. Executive Order 13857 expanded Executive Order 13692’s definition of “Government of Venezuela” to include individuals who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela including Maduro-aligned officials. For more information, see Treasury’s press release.

Every individual processed by the Department of Homeland Security for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors.