U.S. sanctions 16 Venezuelan officials over election obstruction and human rights violations

The U.S. announced on Thursday sanctions against Venezuelan officials over the country's electoral fallout, where the Maduro government has claimed victory without showing supporting documentation, leading most of the international community to not recognize it.

The State Department said in a statement that the decision is a result of "Nicolás maduro and his representatives for obstructing a competitive and inclusive presidential election in Venezuela and abusing the human rights of the Venezuelan people."

"Rather than respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives have falsely claimed victory while repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to cling to power by force," the statement adds.

Concretely, the measure by the Department of the Treasury targeted 16 "Maduro-affiliated individuals, including leaders of the National Electoral Council, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, and the Maduro-affiliated national assembly." The Department of State also imposed new visa restrictions on officials.

The decision comes just days after the opposition's presidential candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, fled to exile in Spain. The U.S. has reiterated that González Urrutia, who the country says is the legitimate winner of the elections, "remains the best hope for democracy" in Venezuela as "Maduro's post-election repression has killed or imprisoned thousands of people."

We must not allow Maduro and his representatives to cling to power by force. The will of the people must be respected," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week. He also highlighted the fact that his exile was "marred by pressures, coercions and threats" in a clear callout to the rumors that the asylum offer is the result of a negotiation that included Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez, political allies closest to Maduro and former Spanish president Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who has been close to the Maduro regime for years.

González, a 75-year-old retired diplomat, arrived in Spain with his wife and expressed his commitment to continuing the fight for democracy in Venezuela. However, morale has plummeted in the country as Maduro looks likely to cling to power.

The Maduro government issued an arrest warrant for González in early September, with charges including criminal association and conspiracy which could have resulted in a life sentence. González had been in hiding for a month before his departure.