Venezuela's Supreme Court has upheld a 15-year ban on opposition leader Maria Colina Machado from holding public office.
The United States has begun reimposing sanctions on Venezuela restricting its mining sector after the country's Supreme Court upheld the disqualification of an opposition presidential candidate.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced Monday that U.S. companies doing business with Venezuela's state-owned mining company Minerven must complete a “winddown” with the company by February 13.
The United States warned Venezuela over the weekend that it could end some of last year's sanctions relief granted when Caracas agreed to a deal for 2024 elections. This includes establishing a procedure for potential candidates to challenge disqualification.
On Friday, Venezuela's Supreme Court, loyal to the government of President Nicolás Maduro, upheld a 15-year ban on opposition leader María Colina Machado and also suspended two-time presidential candidate Entrepreneurs who could replace her. Confirmed that he is not eligible for Que Capriles.
Machado on Monday called last week's court ruling blocking him from running for president a “judicial crime” and declared that the decision embodies the ruling party's fear of having to face him at the polls. , vowed to stay in the race.
relaxation of sanctions
Last year, the Maduro government reached an agreement with the Venezuelan opposition in Barbados to hold a free and fair vote in 2024 in the presence of international observers, raising expectations with the US government and others.
The deal saw Washington ease sanctions, allow U.S.-based Chevron to resume limited oil drilling, and pave the way for a prisoner exchange.
White House Press Secretary John Kirby said Monday that members of Maduro's government “have not taken the actions” they promised in Barbados.
“So we have options available to us,” he said. “We certainly have options when it comes to sanctions and things like that.”
Congressman Jorge Rodríguez, who is leading Maduro's team in negotiations with the opposition, said ahead of the US Treasury's decision that if Washington takes “any aggressive action,” Venezuela's response would be “calm, reciprocal and He said it would be “vigorous.”
Machado, a 56-year-old former lawmaker, won the opposition party's own presidential primary in October with more than 90% of the vote.
Her victory came despite the government announcing a 15-year ban on her running for office days after she officially entered the race in June.
The primaries were organized by a commission independent of Venezuela's election authorities, allowing longtime government enemies to participate. Machado claimed he never received any formal notice of the ban during his campaign.
In December, Machado filed a petition with the court, arguing that the ban was invalid and seeking an injunction to protect her political rights.
Instead, the court upheld the ban, alleging fraud and tax violations, and accused her of seeking economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the United States over the past decade.
