President of the United States, Donald Trump, said Friday that he does not rule out a military option for Venezuela.
"We have many options for Venezuela. And by the way, I will not rule out the military option. We have many options for Venezuela. This is our neighbor. You know, we are all over the world and we have troops all over the world in places that are very far away. Venezuela is not far away and its people are suffering, and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela, including a military option if necessary, "he told CNN in Spanish on its website.
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on eight other Venezuelan officials, including a brother of the late leader Hugo Chávez, as punishment for their participation in the creation of a constituent assembly led by President Nicolás Maduro.
US officials targeted political and security figures, but did not apply broader financial sanctions to the vital Venezuelan oil industry, though officials told Reuters that such sanctions are still being assessed.
The new actions announced by the US Treasury Department will freeze assets of individuals penalized in the United States and prohibit them from traveling to that country. In addition, they prevent US citizens from doing business with subjects under sanctions.
Washington issued sanctions against Maduro himself last week after taking similar actions against 13 Venezuelan officials on July 26. The sanctions mark an escalation in the United States' response to last week's installation of a new constituent assembly by Maduro, made up of its socialist supporters, who have pre-eminence over the rest of the public powers and have aroused international condemnation.
"President Maduro has sworn in this illegitimate constituent assembly to further secure his dictatorship and continues to tighten his grip on the country," US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. "The contempt of this regime for the will of the Venezuelan people is unacceptable, and the United States will stand next to them in opposition to the tyranny until in Venezuela a peaceful and prosperous democracy is restored," he added.
Those indicted on Wednesday include Adán Chávez, a 64-year-old physicist and older brother of former President Hugo Chavez. He was Minister of Culture, governor of the state of Barinas for almost a decade, and currently serves as secretary of the presidential commission of the new assembly. Bladimir Armas, a National Guard Colonel accused by opponents of having committed human rights abuses, is also subject to sanctions.
On July 26, the US Treasury Department announced further sanctions against 13 Venezuelan officials and former officials, including Education Minister Elías Jaua and Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council.
The sanctions package focuses on current or past officials "associated with elections or for violating democracy, as well as widespread violence against opposition demonstrators and corruption," the Treasury said.
In the list published by the media (CNN), the names of current or former members of the government of President Nicolás Maduro remain: Tibisay Lucena Ramírez, Elías Jose Jaua Milano, Tarek William Saab Halabi, María Iris Varela Rangel, Néstor Luis Reverol Torres, Carlos Alfredo Perez Ampueda, Sergio Jose Rivero Marcano, Jesus Rafael Suárez Chourio, Franklin Horacio García Duque, Rocco Albisinni, Alejandro Antonio Fleming Cabrera, Simon Alejandro Zerpa Delgado, Carlos Erik Malpica Flores.