The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.
The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.
Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.
The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said those sanctioned were responsible for “undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro’s regime as “fraudulent”.
Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending “restrictive measures” against Venezuela because of “the lack of progress… leading to the restoration of democracy and the rule of law”. The bloc also sanctioned a further 15 Venezuelan officials.
Canada also imposed fresh sanctions in what Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Maduro’s “shameless actions”.
Joly said Canada “will not tolerate the erosion of the democratic process or the repression of citizens seeking to express their rights”.
Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.
The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.
In 2020, the US charged Maduro, and other senior officials in the country with “narco-terrorism”.
It accused them of flooding the US with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.
Maduro has rejected the accusations. The US also re-imposed oil sanctions last year, after temporarily easing them in the hope Maduro could be incentivised to hold free and fair elections.
The Venezuelan president has blamed an economic collapse in his country on US-led sanctions he calls illegitimate and imperial. His critics blame corruption and economic mismanagement.
On Friday, President Maduro took the oath of office, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a “period of peace”.
“This new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality, and the new democracy,” he said.
“I swear by history, I swear by my life, and I will fulfil it,” he added.
The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela’s left-wing neighbours.
The inauguration itself was a tightly controlled affair. Most accredited Venezuelan media were not allowed inside and foreign journalists were not allowed in the country.
Maduro has a few allies remaining including Iran, China and Russia but is increasingly isolated on the world stage.
The Cuban and Nicaraguan presidents were the only leaders present at the inauguration.
The 62-year-old was declared the winner of last July’s presidential election but the opposition and many countries, including the US, rejected the result and recognised the exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect.
González fled Venezuela in September and has been living in Spain, but this month he went on a tour of the Americas to rally international support.
The Maduro government has issued an arrest warrant for him, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his detention.
On Friday, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the release of all who have been “arbitrarily detained” since the elections.
(BBC News)
