On January 10, the administration of US President Joe Biden increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $25 million.
Points of attention
- The US administration under President Joe Biden has raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $25 million, showcasing a firm stance against Maduro's regime.
- The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials contributing to repression and undermining democracy in the country, emphasizing its support for the opposition candidate Gonzalez.
- The escalation of the reward to $25 million signals a heightened determination by the United States to take a tough stance on Maduro, with additional rewards for the capture of key officials Diosdado Cabello and Padrino Lopez.
- The formal indictment of a foreign head of state by the US Justice Department demonstrates a significant move in addressing narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking allegations against Maduro.
- This article also delves into the aftermath of Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, including the refusal of some Latin American countries and the European Union to recognize Maduro's victory, further highlighting the political tensions surrounding his presidency.
US to pay $25 million for helping arrest Maduro
In 2020, the US State Department under President Donald Trump announced a $15 million reward for assistance in the arrest of Maduro. At that time, he was accused in the United States of a conspiracy related to narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking on an international scale.
The formal indictment by the U.S. Justice Department of a foreign head of state was an unusual move that signals that the United States is likely to take an increasingly tough stance on Mr. Maduro. The new $25 million reward is an escalation.
It is noted that Washington will simultaneously offer $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
The United States also added another reward — $15 million for assistance in the capture of Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino Lopez.
At the same time, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against 8 Venezuelan officials — they head key economic and security agencies that contribute to the repression of the Maduro regime and the undermining of democracy in Venezuela.
The New York Times adds: the Biden administration announced the extension of protections for about 600,000 Venezuelan citizens living in the United States.
Venezuela Elections 2024
On July 29 last year, Venezuela's electoral commission declared the winner of the early presidential election. The winner was the acting president, Hugo Chavez's vice president, Nicolas Maduro. Protests broke out in several cities across Venezuela after that.
Panama announced that it was temporarily suspending all diplomatic relations with Venezuela pending an analysis of the presidential election vote. The leadership of a number of Latin American countries has expressed doubts about the veracity of the count.
Subsequently, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the United States had recognized opposition candidate for president of Venezuela, Gonzalez, as the winner of the election.
On August 5, it became known that the European Union would not recognize Maduro's victory in the Venezuelan presidential election.
On January 10, 2025, Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as president of Venezuela. This will be his third term in office.
