US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela’s Maduro
The United States has increased the reward to $25 million (£20.4 million) for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, coinciding with his swearing-in for a third six-year term. The inauguration was marred by condemnation from the international community and Venezuelan opposition figures.
In addition to the reward for Maduro, there are also offers for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and a new reward of up to $15 million has been announced for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.
The UK has imposed sanctions on 15 senior Venezuelan officials, including judges, security forces members, and military personnel. The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office stated that those sanctioned were responsible for undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights abuses. Foreign Secretary David Lammy labeled Maduro’s regime as “fraudulent.”
The EU also extended its “restrictive measures” against Venezuela, citing the lack of progress in restoring democracy and the rule of law, and added 15 more Venezuelan officials to the sanctions list.
Canada followed suit, imposing new sanctions, with Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly condemning Maduro’s “shameless actions” and asserting that Canada would not tolerate the erosion of democracy or the repression of citizens exercising their rights.
Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.
The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.
In 2020, the US charged Maduro, and other senior officials in the country with “narco-terrorism”.
It accused them of flooding the US with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.
Maduro has rejected the accusations. The US also re-imposed oil sanctions last year, after temporarily easing them in the hope Maduro could be incentivized to hold free and fair elections.
The Venezuelan president has blamed an economic collapse in his country on US-led sanctions he calls illegitimate and imperial. His critics blame corruption and economic mismanagement.
On Friday, President Maduro took the oath of office, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a “period of peace”.
“This new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality, and the new democracy,” he said.
“I swear by history, I swear by my life, and I will fulfill it,” he added.
The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela’s left-wing neighbors.
The inauguration itself was a tightly controlled affair. Most accredited Venezuelan media were not allowed inside and foreign journalists were not allowed in the country.
Maduro has a few allies remaining including Iran, China and Russia but is increasingly isolated on the world stage.
The Cuban and Nicaraguan presidents were the only leaders present at the inauguration.
The 62-year-old was declared the winner of last July’s presidential election but the opposition and many countries, including the US, rejected the result and recognised the exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect.
González fled Venezuela in September and has been living in Spain, but this month he went on a tour of the Americas to rally international support.
The Maduro government has issued an arrest warrant for him, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his detention.
On Friday, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the release of all who have been “arbitrarily detained” since the elections.
