U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Carlos Trujillo, said December 3 that “the sanctions [against the illegitimate government of Venezuela] have been a total success […] we’ve seen the way in which Nicolás Maduro and his corrupt friends are driving the country, it’s a total disaster and it’s their responsibility”.
Trujillo, who spoke to Voice of America on the sidelines of the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs who are members of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR, in Spanish), in Bogotá, was answering a question on whether sanctions against the Maduro regime have worked, after the United States designated that same day 29 people associated to the Venezuelan government to a list of TIAR sanctions.
The U.S. ambassador to the OAS told VOA that “it’s the first time we have approved sanctions on individuals.”
The people on that list, he said, “will not be able to travel through the 26 TIAR-member countries, open bank accounts; they will not have any activity in those countries.” He added that the measure extends to their immediate family members.
Trujillo said the plan is to coordinate with the European Union to include this ban in their territory.
The U.S. ambassador to the OAS also talked about a possible transition to democracy, without Maduro in power.
“No transition can have Nicolás Maduro, and it must be a transition to democracy,” he said.