June 25, 2018•Update: June 25, 2018
BRUSSELS
The European Union is sanctioning 11 Venezuelan officials over alleged human rights violations and undermining democracy and the rule of law in the wake of its May elections, the bloc said on Monday.
“The measures include a travel ban and an asset freeze,” the bloc said in a statement.
The May elections in Venezuela were “neither free nor fair,” the statement said.
The EU also called for the holding of fresh presidential elections.
Today’s decision brought the number of individuals under sanction to 18, according to the statement.
Last November, the EU imposed an arms embargo on Venezuela.
After the May 20 presidential elections, Tibisay Lucena, head of the National Electoral Council, said that turnout in the election was 46 percent.
Nicolas Maduro won some 5.8 million votes, or 68 percent of the total, he said.
Last month U.S. President Donald Trump levied new sanctions on Venezuela following the elections.
Maduro first took office in 2013 after his predecessor Hugo Chavez died and is set to govern Venezuela for another six-year term, from January 2019 to 2025.
Reporting by Yusuf Hatip; Writing by Handan Kazanci
