EU sanctions Venezuelan VP, 10 others over election abuses

LUXEMBOURG: The EU on Monday hit the Venezuelan vice-president and 10 other officials with sanctions over rights abuses and irregularities in the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, which the bloc condemned as "neither free nor fair".

Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez is the most senior member of Maduro’s regime targeted by the travel bans and asset freezes, while other top cadres are sanctioned for grave human rights transgressions including torture.

The 28 EU states pledged last month to "swiftly" punish Caracas with sanctions over the May reelection of Maduro, which returned him to office until 2025. It was boycotted by the main opposition and denounced as a sham by the United States and many of Venezuela’s Latin American neighbours.

"The persons listed are responsible for human rights violations and for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela," the European Union said after its 28 foreign ministers backed the move at a meeting in Luxembourg.

"The elections held in Venezuela on 20 May 2018 were neither free nor fair and their outcome lacked any credibility as the electoral process did not ensure the necessary guarantees for them to be inclusive and democratic."