International

US sanctions Venezuelan officials for “falsely” proclaiming Maduro’s victory

The United States imposed sanctions on 16 Venezuelan officials, including members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Supreme Court of Justice and the National Assembly, for “falsely” proclaiming the victory of Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, in the presidential elections of July 28.

Among those sanctioned are the president of the Supreme Court, Caryslia Rodríguez, the secretary general of the CNE, Antonio José Meneses, and the vice president of the National Assembly, Pedro Infante Aparicio.

“Instead of respecting the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls, Maduro and his representatives have falsely proclaimed their victory while repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to cling to power,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In total, the Treasury Department announced financial sanctions on 16 people “related to Maduro,” including members of the National Electoral Council, the Supreme Court of Justice and the National Assembly, whom it accuses of having “impeded a transparent electoral process and the publication of accurate electoral results.”

At the same time, the State Department banned the entry into the country of “officials aligned with Maduro who have undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and who are responsible for acts of repression.”

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Almost 2,000 people with visa restrictions

With the measures announced today, to date there are more than 140 Venezuelan officials sanctioned by the US Treasury and about 2,000 people are subject to visa restrictions by the US State Department.

“The United States will continue to promote accountability by those who undermine democracy in Venezuela,” Blinken warned.

The CNE proclaimed Maduro’s re-election in the elections of July 28 without publishing the voting minutes, but the opposition claims the victory of its standard bearer, Edmundo González Urrutia, who recently traveled to Spain and asked for asylum in that country.

Reaction of Venezuela

The Government of Venezuela described as a “new crime of aggression” the sanctions announced by the United States against 16 officials of the Caribbean country, including members of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Parliament, for “falsely” proclaiming President Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the July elections.

In a statement, the Venezuelan Executive rejected, in “the most energetic terms,” this “new crime of aggression committed by the Government of the United States of America against Venezuela, by imposing unilateral, illegitimate and illegal coercive measures on a group of state officials.”

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For the Chavista government, the United States demonstrates, “once again, its total contempt for international law, the self-determination of the peoples and the democratic will of Venezuelans.”

“Little can be expected”

However, he continued, “little can be expected from the most hostile and bloodthirsty power that humanity has known, responsible for millions of murders in the world with genocidal partners and a history of indifference to the needs of its own citizens.”

With these “erroneously called sanctions, which have been shamefully promoted by the fascist extreme right,” as Chavismo usually refers to the opposition, “they break and violate the agreements signed in Qatar” between both American countries.

Guterres’ refection

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, believes that the new sanctions of the US Government against 16 high-ranking officials of the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, whom he accuses of hindering the last elections, will not help find a way out of the political crisis in which the South American country is immersed.

“I don’t think they will help,” said Guterres spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, when asked about it in his daily press conference from the United Nations headquarters in New York.

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He immediately added that in the UN general secretariat the “concern for respect for human rights” and for the “lack of transparency” still prevailing today after the presidential elections of July 28 in Venezuela continues.

Venezuela affirms that António Guterres is on the side of those who “illegly sanction”

In turn, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said that Guterres sides with those who “illegally sanction,” in relation to the new measures imposed by the United States, despite the fact that the Portuguese diplomat considered that these penalties do not help solve the crisis in the Caribbean country.

“The UN secretary general avoids condemning the application of unilateral coercive measures, he takes the side of those who sanction illegally, it is an affront to the mandate that the States have given him, all to defend the aggressors of Venezuela,” Gil said in a message published on Telegram.

The foreign minister indicated that Guterres, instead of showing solidarity with the “victims of the blockade and sanctions,” sides with the “liars and victimizers, of the fascists who violate rights and do not know the Venezuelan State.”

“(It is) urgent that the secretary general return to international legality, respects Venezuela and asserts the institutions of the system to which it is due,” he added.

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Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

International

Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation

Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.

The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.

The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.

In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”

At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.

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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.

International

Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico

Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.

The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”

Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.

Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.