The Venezuelan National Assembly has passed a new law, the Simon Bolivar Liberator law, which imposes up to 60 years of imprisonment for officials who support US sanctions against President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The law also allows for the shutdown of broadcast media and fines for text-based media that back sanctions. This move is seen as a crackdown on the opposition, who claim to have won the July presidential election.
The opposition has presented precinct data to support their claims of victory, but Maduro has refused to release data validating his win. Protests against the government have been met with police crackdowns and restrictive laws targeting dissent. The enactment of this law comes after the US House of Representatives passed the Bolivar Act, which would cut ties with anyone linked to the Maduro government.
The US has increased pressure on Maduro, recognizing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the legitimate leader and imposing sanctions on figures involved in the post-election crackdown. Gonzalez, who fled to Spain, plans to return to Venezuela in January, prepared to face potential detention. Maduro has criticized the US actions as “trash”. The US Senate has yet to approve the Bolivar Act, which has escalated tensions between the two nations.
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