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1 1 (February 25, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govebjf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Inforring the legislative debate since 1914 Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions For more than a decade, the United States has employed sanctions as a policy tool in response to activities of the Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. These have included sanctions related to terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, antidemocratic actions, human rights violations, and corruption; the Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions on more than 100 individuals. On January 28, 2019, the Trump Administration announced sanctions on Venezuela's state- oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., or PdVSA. Several days before the imposition of the PdVSA sanctions, the United States recognized Juan Guaid6, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, as the country's interim president and ceased to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the president of Venezuela. Terrorism-Related Sanctions Since 2006, U.S. officials have expressed concerns about Venezuela's lack of cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts. Since then, the Secretary of State has made an annual determination that Venezuela is not cooperating fully with United States anti-terrorism efforts pursuant to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2781). The most recent determination was made in May 2018. As a result, the United States has prohibited all U.S. commercial arms sales and retransfers to Venezuela since 2006. In 2008, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions (asset freezing and prohibitions on transactions) on two individuals and two travel agencies in Venezuela for providing financial support to the radical Lebanon-based Islamic Shiite group Hezbollah. The action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, aimed at impeding terrorist funding. Drug Trafficking-Related Sanctions U.S. concerns about the lack of Venezuelan cooperation on counternarcotics efforts date back to 2005. Since then, the President has made an annual determination, pursuant to procedures set forth in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY2003 (P.L. 107-228, §706; 22 U.S.C. 2291j), that Venezuela has failed demonstrably to adhere to its obligations under international narcotics agreements. President Trump made the most recent determination for FY2019 in September 2018, but also waived foreign aid restrictions for programs to support democracy promotion. The Treasury Department has imposed economic sanctions on at least 22 individuals with connections to Venezuela and 27 companies by designating them as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act; P.L. 106- 120, Title VIII; 21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.). Designated individuals include several current or former Venezuelan officials: in 2008, General Hugo Carvajal Updated February 25, 2019 (former military intelligence head), General Henry Rangel Silva (former defense minister and governor of Trujillo State), and Ram6n Rodrfguez Chacfn (former interior minister and former governor of Guirico); in 2011, Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales and Amilicar Jesus Figueroa Salazar (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, politicians), Major General Cliver Antonio Alcald Cordones, and Ramon Isidro Madriz Moreno (a Venezuelan intelligence officer); in 2017, then-Vice President Tareck el Aissami; and in May 2018, Pedro Luis Martin (a former senior intelligence official) and two of his associates. Others designated include drug trafficker Walid Makled, three dual Lebanese-Venezuelan citizens allegedly involved in a drug money-laundering network, and several Colombian drug traffickers with activity in Venezuela. Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Since 2014, Venezuela has been on the State Department's Tier 3 list in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Tier 3 countries are those whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (P.L. 106-386, Division A, 22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) and are not making significant efforts to do so; they are subject to a variety of U.S. aid restrictions, which may be waived by the President for national interest reasons. Targeted Sanctions Related to Antidemocratic Actions, Human Rights Violations, and Corruption In response to increasing repression in Venezuela, Congress enacted the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-278; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) in December 2014. Among its provisions, the law requires the President to impose sanctions (asset blocking and visa restrictions) against those whom the President determines are responsible for significant acts of violence or serious human rights abuses associated with February 2014 protests or, more broadly, against anyone who has directed or ordered the arrest or prosecution of a person primarily because of the person's legitimate exercise of freedom of expression or assembly. In 2016, Congress extended the 2014 act through 2019 in P.L. 114-194. In March 2015, President Obama issued E.O. 13692 to implement P.L. 113-278, and the Treasury Department issued regulations in July 2015 (31 C.F.R. Part 591). The E.O. targets (for asset blocking and visa restrictions) those involved in actions or policies undermining democratic processes or institutions; those involved in acts of violence or conduct constituting a serious human rights abuse; those taking actions that prohibit, limit, or penalize the exercise of freedom of expression or peaceful assembly; public corruption by senior Venezuelan officials; and any person determined to be a current or former leader of any entity engaged in any activity described above or a current or former official of the government of Venezuela. https://crsreports.congress.gov

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