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US to impose travel restrictions on Venezuelan officials

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (L), US President Donald Trump (C), Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido (R)

Jesus Silva
Press TV, Caracas

US special envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, announced on Wednesday that Washington was seeking to impose new travel restrictions on Venezuelan government officials. 

Abrams said the move will be discussed during the upcoming meeting of the Rio Treaty countries in Colombia as the US is looking to coordinate the travel restrictions with regional countries as part of its efforts to step up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. 

The restrictions will prevent the Venezuelan officials from travelling across the Americas. 

The new measures will also include revocation of US Visas as well confiscation of assets or bank accounts the Maduro officials may have in the United States or in any other country in the region which follows the US policy.

Opposition figures have welcomed the US move. 

Nonetheless members of the ruling socialist party are of a different opinion. They say the move is illegal and will affect the Venezuelan people. 

On the street, many people decry the US move. 

From another angle, analysts fear consequences with some saying it could deepen Venezuela’s economic crisis. 

Washington has already imposed rounds of sanctions against the oil-rich country, in a bid to oust Maduro and have him replaced with opposition figure Juan Guaido, who declared himself 'interim president' earlier this year.

The US appears to have targeted the Maduro administration, and is now trying to arrest senior government officials when they travel abroad. Caracas says this is unacceptable and legal action will be taken to prevent further instances.