EU Council Adds 19 Venezuelan Officials To Sanctions List

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2021) The Council of the European Union on Monday added 19 Venezuelan officials to an EU sanctions list over their roles in "undermining democracy and rule of law" in the country.

The move was made in accordance with conclusions reached at the January 25, 2021 Foreign Affairs Council meeting, a statement published on Monday read.

"The individuals added to the list are responsible, notably, for undermining the oppositions' electoral rights and the democratic functioning of the National Assembly, and for serious violations of human rights and restrictions of fundamental freedoms," the statement read.

This brings the total number of sanctioned individuals in relation to Venezuela to 55, the council said. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans and are designed not to have an adverse humanitarian impact on the population.

Venezuela held parliamentary elections on December 6. President Nicolas Maduro's party, Simon Bolivar Great Patriotic Pole, won over 91 percent of the vote, or 253 out of 277 seats. The EU said the voting process fell short of international standards and called the election a "missed opportunity for freedom."