After controversial vote, US sanctions Venezuela's 'dictator'

The US government announced sanctions against Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro following his administration's move to create a new assembly that aims to supersede parliament and rewrite the constitution.

"Yesterday's illegitimate elections confirm that Maduro is a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people," treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement on Monday.

All of Maduro's assets subject to US jurisdiction are frozen and US citizens are prohibited from doing business with him. Furthermore, anyone who participates in the so-called national constituent assembly (ANC) could be exposed to future US sanctions, Mnuchin added.

Despite international condemnation, Maduro remained defiant and claimed victory after Sunday's vote, even though there was no option to vote against the process to create the 545-member ANC. Among the 6,000 candidates on the ballot, mostly government supporters, was Maduro's wife. The government claimed more than 8mn turned out to vote, but accounts from reporters and NGOs point to hugely inflated numbers.

In contrast, on June 16 some 7.6mn Venezuelans turned out for a non-binding referendum called by the opposition to vote against the process. Polls show some 85% of Venezuelans oppose the ANC plan.

The opposition boycotted the vote and called for protests. At least 10 people were killed the day of the vote. The night before, opposition candidate José Féliz Pineda was killed in his home. Overall, 120 people have died in the last four months of anti-government protests.

The US government has also targeted Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations by freezing their US assets. It's unclear what, if any, assets Maduro might hold in the US. Vice president Tareck El Aissami was added to a US sanctions list in February after he was accused of having ties to international drug trafficking and foreign assets of at least US$500mn.

The US stepped short of its harshest sanction, banning the import of Venezuelan oil. The US buys about a third of Venezuela's crude output, and a ban on imports could be devastating for an economy in which oil accounts for 95% of exports.

Countries across Latin America, along with the European Union, denounced the creation of the assembly, which will have the power to supplant the opposition-controlled parliament.

Diosdado Cabello, the ruling socialist party's No. 2 official and a member of the new assembly, said the body could sideline attorney general Luisa Ortega, a chavista who has become critical of Maduro. He also hinted that it could replace the parliament and even hold sessions in the legislative chamber.

For his part, Maduro said opposition legislators could lose their parliamentary immunity and go to jail.