US Looking for More Sanctions to Increase Pressure on Venezuela, State Department Official Says

The U.S. is actively seeking to impose more sanctions on Venezuela and the Nicolas Maduro-led regime, a top State Department official said during a Jan. 6 press conference. “We are looking at additional sanctions, personal sanctions, economic sanctions that we think will bring more pressure yet on the regime,” said Elliott Abrams, the U.S.’s special representative for Venezuela. That effort involves urging Venezuela’s neighbors to pressure the country with their own sanctions, Abrams said. Abrams’s comments have been echoed by other Trump administration officials, who have said the Venezuela program is one of its most active sanctions regimes and expect sanctions to continue (see 1911190028). Abrams has said he feels no pressure from U.S. companies to lift Venezuela sanctions (see 1912200049).