The United States on Monday sanctioned seven members of the Venezuelan National Assembly who participated in an illegal attempt orchestrated by Nicolas Maduro to regain control of the parliament last week and block the reelection of its president, Juan Guaido.
Among those included in the Department of Treasury's sanctions list is Luis Parra, who was sworn in as president of the National Assembly following a botched vote without the required numbers, after the Venezuelan military prevented a hundred opposition lawmakers, including Guaido, from entering the parliament building on Jan. 5.
"Treasury has designated seven corrupt National Assembly officials who, at the bidding of Maduro, attempted to block the democratic process in Venezuela," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "These and other designated officials can have sanctions removed if they side with the people of Venezuela and Juan Guaido as their legitimate leader."
The images of Guaido trying to climb a fence to enter the National Assembly building went viral, and the irregular swearing-in of Parra received international condemnation, except from Russia.
Guaido and the rest of the opposition lawmakers held an Assembly session in the building of the digital newspaper El Nacional, in which he was reelected. He then managed to enter the Assembly building and held a session on Jan. 7.
"Maduro's repressive and illegal attempts to stifle the democratic will of the Venezuelan people reveals once more his desperation," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday. "We call on Venezuelan security forces to protect the Venezuelan constitution, allow entry of all deputies into the Federal Legislative Palace, and refrain from the use of violence, including against their democratically elected representatives."
Besides Parra, the sanctioned lawmakers are Jose Brito, Franklyn Duarte, Negal Morales Llovera, Jose Gregorio Noriega, Conrado Antonio Perez Linares and Adolfo Ramon Superlano.
Parra and other lawmakers sanctioned Monday by the U.S. had been expelled from their opposition parties after reports that they tried to lobby in the United States and Colombia to favor businessmen involved in acts of corruption related to the food supply program known as CLAP.
Several experts believe that Maduro's interest in regaining control of the Assembly has to do with the signing of new gas deals with Russia and China, which need parliamentary approval.
After the events in the Assembly, Pompeo called on Thursday for negotiations between Maduro and the opposition to form a transitional government and hold free elections with the participation of all parties and international observers.
Guaido responded on Friday with a statement in which he refused to rejoin Norwegian-mediated talks with Maduro, which did not get anywhere last year.
"We reiterate that the Oslo-Barbados process has been closed, and therefore, we will not participate in any meeting. Maduro has prevented any negotiated solution to the Venezuelan crisis," Guaido said in a statement. "By militarily assaulting the Assembly, the only institution that enjoys national and international legitimacy, the regime has demonstrated its decision to block all the political solutions that the Republic demands."
The U.S. government also hopes that the National Assembly will soon appoint a new National Electoral Council, a pivotal moment to assess whether Maduro intends to allow free parliamentary and presidential elections, Elliott Abrams, U.S. special envoy for Venezuela, told journalists on Friday.
In an event organized by Florida International University, Abrams defended the sanctions and "maximum pressure" campaign against Maduro, claiming they will push the Venezuelan ruler to engage in talks with the opposition.
"When we say, or the European Union says, that the path should be the negotiations, we do not mean that the regime is prepared (to carry them out), but we hope that with more international pressure, that day will come soon," the diplomat said.
