US raises bounty on Maduro to $25 million
The United States has boosted the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nikolas Maduro, implementing this change as part of new sanctions. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The announcement followed Washington's imposition of another series of sanctions on Venezuela.
The US has raised its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $25 million, an increase from the $15 million offered in 2020, the US Treasury revealed on Friday. This action is part of a comprehensive package of measures, including sanctions and travel restrictions, aimed at officials connected to the Venezuelan government.
Washington has refused to acknowledge Maduro as the victor of the July 2024 presidential election, deeming the electoral process as manipulated and undemocratic. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted last August that the US had “overwhelming evidence” indicating that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez was the genuine winner of the election.
On the same day as Maduro’s inauguration, the Treasury accused the Venezuelan government of engaging in “repression and subversion of democracy.”
Alongside the increased bounty on Maduro, the US also declared a $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. The Treasury highlighted their involvement in “repression and human rights abuses.”
Other Venezuelan officials received sanctions as well, including the head of the state-owned oil company PDVSA and the transportation minister, along with several high-ranking members of the military and police.
In December, Francisco Palmieri, the head of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit at the US embassy in Colombia, issued an ultimatum to Caracas, demanding that Maduro resign before his inauguration in January and acknowledge Gonzalez as the election winner.
“If he stays, things will only get worse for Venezuela,” Palmieri stated.
Caracas did not respond to this ultimatum, nor has it commented on the latest US sanctions. Maduro, who is a vocal critic of US foreign policy, condemned Washington earlier this week for its push for regime change.
The president accused the US of financing “corrupt and delinquent” former leaders throughout Latin America to undermine Caracas.
“Enough of interventionism, enough of extremism, enough of Lima groups,” he said, specifically targeting the Lima Group, an informal coalition of 12 governments that have supported US efforts to isolate Venezuela since 2017.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
The US has raised its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $25 million, an increase from the $15 million offered in 2020, the US Treasury revealed on Friday. This action is part of a comprehensive package of measures, including sanctions and travel restrictions, aimed at officials connected to the Venezuelan government.
Washington has refused to acknowledge Maduro as the victor of the July 2024 presidential election, deeming the electoral process as manipulated and undemocratic. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted last August that the US had “overwhelming evidence” indicating that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez was the genuine winner of the election.
On the same day as Maduro’s inauguration, the Treasury accused the Venezuelan government of engaging in “repression and subversion of democracy.”
Alongside the increased bounty on Maduro, the US also declared a $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. The Treasury highlighted their involvement in “repression and human rights abuses.”
Other Venezuelan officials received sanctions as well, including the head of the state-owned oil company PDVSA and the transportation minister, along with several high-ranking members of the military and police.
In December, Francisco Palmieri, the head of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit at the US embassy in Colombia, issued an ultimatum to Caracas, demanding that Maduro resign before his inauguration in January and acknowledge Gonzalez as the election winner.
“If he stays, things will only get worse for Venezuela,” Palmieri stated.
Caracas did not respond to this ultimatum, nor has it commented on the latest US sanctions. Maduro, who is a vocal critic of US foreign policy, condemned Washington earlier this week for its push for regime change.
The president accused the US of financing “corrupt and delinquent” former leaders throughout Latin America to undermine Caracas.
“Enough of interventionism, enough of extremism, enough of Lima groups,” he said, specifically targeting the Lima Group, an informal coalition of 12 governments that have supported US efforts to isolate Venezuela since 2017.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
