EU adopts sanctions against Venezuela

The European Union is banning arms sales to Venezuela and setting up a system for asset freezes and travel restrictions on some Venezuelan officials to ramp up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. (Photo by Thomas Quine/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

BRUSSELS — The European Union is banning arms sales to Venezuela and setting up a system for asset freezes and travel restrictions on some Venezuelan officials to ramp up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.

The EU foreign ministers announced the measures at talks in Brussels on Monday.

The weapons ban would stop sales of military equipment that could be used for repression or surveillance of Venezuelans.

The EU said in a statement that the measures can be reversed depending how Maduro reacts to the demands for more democracy in the South American nation.

The United States last Thursday put financial sanctions on another 10 current and former Venezuelan officials over corruption and abuse of power allegations related to Maduro’s crackdown on the opposition.