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Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions


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  Updated June 2, 2020


For more than a decade, the United States has imposed
sanctions in response to activities of the Venezuelan
government and Venezuelan individuals. In response to the
authoritarian leadership of Nicolfs Maduro, the Trump
Administration has significantly expanded sanctions. As of
June 1, 2020, the Treasury Department has imposed
sanctions on at least 144 Venezuelan or Venezuelan-
connected individuals, and the State Department has
revoked the visas of hundreds of individuals and their
families. The Trump Administration also has imposed
sanctions on Venezuela's state oil company (Petr6leos de
Venezuela, S.A., or PdVSA), government, and central bank.

Sanctions have increased economic pressure on the Maduro
government, accelerating a decline in oil production.
Nevertheless, Maduro remains in power a year and a half
since the United States ceased to recognize his presidency.
The Trump Administration has promised continued support
to National Assembly President Juan Guaid6, whom the
United States and 57 governments recognize as interim
president of Venezuela. In 2020, Treasury has sanctioned
two subsidiaries of the Russian state-controlled Rosneft Oil
Company for facilitating Venezuelan oil exports and four
shipping companies for transporting Venezuelan oil.


Since 2006, 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 such determination was made in May 2020. As
a result, the United States has prohibited all U.S.
commercial arms sales and retransfers to Venezuela since
2006.

In 2008, Treasury imposed financial sanctions on two
individuals and two travel agencies in Venezuela for
financially supporting the radical Lebanon-based Islamic
Shiite group Hezbollah. Pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.)
13224, those sanctions related to terrorist funding.


Since 2005, pursuant to procedures in the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, FY2003 (P.L. 107-228, §706; 22 U.S.C.
2291j), the President has made an annual determination that
Venezuela has failed demonstrably to adhere to its
obligations under international narcotics agreements.
President Trump made the most recent determination for
FY2020 in August 2019 but waived foreign aid restrictions
for programs that support the interim government.

Treasury 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 (P.L. 106-120, Title VIII; 21
U.S.C. 1901 et seq.). Designated individuals include current
and former Venezuelan officials, such as then-Vice
President Tareck el Aissami (2017) and Pedro Luis Martin
(a former senior intelligence official) and two associates
(2018). Others 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.

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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
2014. Among its provisions, the law requires the President
to impose sanctions (asset blocking and visa restrictions)
against those whom the President identifies as responsible
for significant acts of violence or serious human rights
abuses or anyone who has ordered the arrest or prosecution
of a person because of the person's legitimate exercise of
freedom of expression or assembly. Congress extended this
act through 2019 in P.L. 114-194. In December 2019,
Congress extended this act through 2023 in P.L. 116-94.

In March 2015, President Obama issued E.O. 13692 to
implement P.L. 113-278, and Treasury 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;
serious human rights abuses; prohibiting, limiting, or
penalizing freedom of expression or peaceful assembly; and
public corruption. It includes any person who is a current or
former leader of any entity engaged in any of those
activities, as well as current or former government officials.

As of June 1, 2020, Treasury has financial sanctions on 98
Venezuelans pursuant to E.O. 13692. Under the Obama
Administration, Treasury froze the assets of seven
Venezuelans six members of Venezuela's security forces
and a prosecutor who repressed protesters. Under the
Trump Administration, Treasury currently has sanctions on
an additional 91 Venezuelan officials, including President
Maduro; his wife, Cecilia Flores, and son, NicolAs Maduro
Guerra; Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez;
Diosdado Cabello (Socialist party president); eight supreme
court judges; the leaders of Venezuela's army, national
guard, and national police; four state governors; the director
of the central bank; and the foreign minister. On May 7,
2019, Treasury lifted sanctions against the former head of
Venezuela's intelligence service, General Manuel
Cristopher Figuera, who broke ranks with Maduro.


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