The Trump administration imposed sanctions on eight more individuals loyal to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week in a strategy shift that aims to punish regime supporters rather than the nation.
Last month the US promised "strong and swift economic actions" against Venezuela but so far the country hasn't felt them.
"No such action has materialised, leading some of Maduro's opponents to wonder whether the US president has lost his nerve," The Associated Press reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The latest sanctions target eight Venezuelan politicians and security figures involved in creating the Constituent Assembly, the "all-powerful legislative body" loyal to Maduro that will rewrite the constitution, reports New York Magazine.
The individuals, who include Adan Coromoto Chavez Frias, brother of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, will have any US assets frozen. They will also be banned from travelling to America. Since protests began in April, Trump's administration has targeted 30 Venezuelan individuals in all.
Far from cowering, however, Venezuelans celebrate the newly sanctioned.
"Most Venezuelan officials wear US sanctions as a badge of honour," The Associated Press (AP) reports, adding that promotions are often handed to individuals who've been sanctioned.
"It's doubtful these sanctions will be enough to pressure Maduro and his allies to back off their power grab," New York magazine reports.
The problem is that Washington needs Venezuela's oil. A ban on petroleum imports from Venezuela – the US's third-largest supplier – would hurt "hurt US jobs and drive up gas costs", AP says. Many American refineries are designed for handling the type of heavy crude oil Venezuela exports. Replacing those supplies would be costly.
"We want to make sure that we don't have the unintended consequence of doing more harm to US refineries than the Maduro regime," Chet Thompson, CEO of a group representing 95 per cent of America's refining sector, told AP.
Some Senate Republicans could soon join the lobby. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican who sits on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is planning to raise similar concerns about the impact on the US fuel market.
-
Nick Fuentes’ Groyper antisemitism is splitting the rightTalking Points Interview with Tucker Carlson draws conservative backlash
-
Jamaicans reeling from Hurricane MelissaSpeed Read The Category 5 storm caused destruction across the country
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
‘Not every social scourge is an act of war’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pentagon unable to name boat strike casualtiesSpeed Read The Pentagon has so far acknowledged 14 strikes
-
41 political cartoons for October 2025Cartoons Editorial cartoonists take on Donald Trump, ICE, Stephen Miller, the government shutdown, a peace plan in the Middle East, Jeffrey Epstein, and more.
-
Trump limits refugees mostly to white South AfricansSpeed Read The administration is capping the number of refugees at 7,500
-
Judge rules US attorney ‘unlawfully serving’Speed Read Bill Essayli had been serving in the role without Senate confirmation
-
Trump ends Asia trip with Xi meeting, nuke threatSpeed Read Trump had spent the last six days in Asia
-
What does history say about Trump’s moves in Latin America?Today's Big Question ‘Bitter memories’ surface as the US targets Venezuela
