CARACAS: The United States hit Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with direct sanctions on Monday (Jul 31) over a disputed and deadly weekend vote that, while consolidating his power, has largely isolated him at home and abroad as the "dictator" of a failing petro-state. The US measures were unusual in that they targeted a sitting head of state, but their reach was mostly symbolic, freezing any US assets Maduro might have and banning people under US jurisdiction from dealing with him. “We will continue to take strong and swift actions against the architects of authoritarianism in Venezuela, including those who participate in the National Constituent Assembly as a result of (Sunday’s) flawed election.”

Venezuelan electoral authorities said more than 8 million people voted to create the constitutional assembly endowing Maduro’s ruling party with virtually unlimited powers. Maduro is not just a bad leader, he is now a dictator. US hits Venezuelan 'dictator' Nicolas Maduro with sanctions after 'sham election'

The White House says Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is now effectively a dictator after "seizing absolute power" through what Washington said was a "sham election" of the country's National Constituent Assembly. Demonstrations tapered off just before Sunday's vote after Maduro decreed a ban threatening prison terms of up to 10 years for protesters. US National Security Adviser Herbert R. McMaster on Monday announced direct sanctions by the US government, including freezing Maduro's assets in Washington and prohibiting American citizens from carrying out economic transactions with the Venezuelan leader. The administration imposed sanctions on more than a dozen senior current and former Venezuelan officials last week, warning the socialist government that new penalties would come if President Nicolas Maduro went ahead with Sunday’s election for a constituent assembly. "Yesterday`s illegitimate elections confirm that Maduro is a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters.
The United States sanctions Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the controversial Constitutional Assembly election which critics say is an attempt to establish a dictatorship.