Transparency Venezuela, September 16, 2024.- The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned 16 Venezuelan officials who allegedly helped obstruct the July 28 presidential election, preventing “a transparent electoral process and the publication of accurate election results.” 

Among those sanctioned are judges of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), deputies of the National Assembly, rectors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and officials of the State security forces. 

The Treasury Department also announcing which is studying the possibility of imposing new visa restrictions on officials aligned with Nicolás Maduro.  

He said that to date, they have identified nearly 2.000 individuals who would be potentially subject to these visa restrictions for their involvement in “undermining democracy, engaging in significant acts of corruption, or violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people.” 

Who are the 16 sanctioned?  

Innocent Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta – Magistrate of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ. He signed sentence number 032 that “certifies” the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections of July 28, 2024. In 2019, he was sanctioned by the government of Canada, which held him responsible for the deterioration of the Venezuelan situation. 

Malachi Gil Rodriguez. Magistrate and president of the Political Administrative Chamber of the TSJ since 2022, a chamber that confirmed the political disqualification of María Corina Machado. In 2018, he was sanctioned by the Canadian government, which included him on a list of officials accused of corruption and human rights violations.  

Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares. Vice President of the Political Administrative Chamber of the TSJ. Chamber that confirmed the political disqualification of María Corina Machado.  

Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez Rodríguez. President of the TSJ and the Electoral Chamber. He signed the ruling that validates the swearing-in of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections of July 28, 2024. 

Fanny Beatriz Marquez Cordero. Vice-president of the Supreme Court of Justice and member of the Electoral Chamber of the highest court. In 2018, she was also included in the list of officials sanctioned by Canada for corruption and human rights violations. 

Edward Miguel Briceno Cisneros. Special judge of the First Court of First Instance on Terrorism. According to the media, Briceño was the judge who signed the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia, who was arrested by the Public Prosecutor's Office points out for the alleged crimes of usurpation of functions, forgery of public documents, instigation to disobedience of laws, conspiracy, sabotage of systems and crimes of association.  

Luis Ernesto Dueñez Reyes. Public Prosecutor. Issued the request for an arrest warrant against Edmundo González.  

Rosalba Gil Pacheco. Rector of the CNE, president of the Civil Registry and Electoral Commission of the CNE and member of the Political Participation and Financing Commission, according to the Poderopedia portal.   

Antonio Jose Meneses Rodriguez. Secretary General of the CNE. Before joining the electoral body, he was an official of the Comptroller General of the Republic and signed the document confirming the disqualification of María Corina Machado.  

Dinorah Yoselin Bustamante Gate. Prosecutor of the Special Court of First Instance of Venezuela, accused of providing services within an office located in the facilities of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim). In 2020, she was sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Liechtenstein, Norway and Ukraine.  

Pedro Jose Infante Aparicio. First Vice President of the National Assembly and President of the “Special Commission for the Investigation and Prosecution of Opposition Parties and Representatives of the Legislature 2016-2021 for the Dispossession and Robbery of Citgo”. He is also Vice President of the Venezuelan Football Federation.   

Sunday Antonio Hernandez Larez. Strategic Operational Commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). Previously, he was commander of the Capital Strategic Region for Comprehensive Defense (REDI Capital).  

Elio Ramon Estrada Paredes. Commander of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and director of the Anti-Terrorist Directorate of the GNB, a unit that carries out intelligence work. He was in charge of the GNB during the wave of arrests of protesters following the elections of July 28.  

Johan Alexander Hernandez Larez. Commander of the GNB's REDI Capital. He was Division General of the Miranda State Comprehensive Defense Zone (ZODI Miranda). 

Asdrubal Jose Brito HernandezDirector of Criminal Investigations of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim).  

Miguel Antonio Muñoz Palacios. Deputy Director of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin).  

As a result of the designation of the 16 officials, all property and interests they may have in the United States are blocked. In addition, financial institutions and other persons who engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned individuals are also exposed to sanctions. 

“The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from such person,” the Treasury Department added.  

With the designation of these 16 officials, the number of citizens sanctioned for their alleged participation in drug trafficking, corruption, undermining democracy or cooperation with Venezuelan officials rises to 234. All of these sanctions can be consulted at sanctions database de Vendata.