BRUSSELS: The EU is set to sanction seven more Venezuelan officials over torture and other human rights abuses, diplomatic sources told AFP on Tuesday, as the bloc seeks to keep up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
Ambassadors from the 28 EU countries are expected to approve the measures in a meeting on Wednesday, bringing to 25 the number of Venezuelan officials under European travel bans and asset freezes.
The EU has had sanctions in place against crisis-wracked Venezuela since 2017, with a ban in place on the export of arms and other equipment that could be used for repression, in addition to the individual measures.
“The majority (of the seven) are members of Venezuela’s security and intelligence services involved in cases of torture and other human rights violations,“ one diplomat told AFP.
A second diplomatic source confirmed the information. After the ambassadors give the green light, the decision will be formally signed off at a later date.
In July, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell asked the EU for sanctions against those responsible for torture in Venezuela, following the death of navy officer Captain Rafael Acosta Arevalo, who may have been tortured while in detention.
Washington has criticised the EU for dragging its feet on sanctions, saying Europe was becoming a playground for Maduro’s cadres and their mistresses and children. — AFP
