The U.S. imposed sanctions against Venezuela’s national development bank and four financial institutions it controls, alleging it helped prop up the government of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
The penalties were imposed on Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social de Venezuela, or Bandes, the Treasury Department said on Friday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin cited the arrest of opposition leader Juan Guaido’s chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, in a statement on the latest sanctions.
“The regime’s continued use of kidnapping, torture, and murder of Venezuelan citizens will not be tolerated by the U.S. or the international coalition that is united behind President Guaido,” Mnuchin said in a statement. “Roberto Marrero and other political prisoners must be released immediately.”
The other institutions sanctioned on Friday are: Banco Bandes Uruguay S.A., based in Uruguay; Banco Bicentenario del Pueblo, de la Clase Obrera, Mujer y Comunias, Banco Universal C.A., based in Venezuela; Banco de Venezuela, S.A. Banco Universal, based in Venezuela; and Banco Prodem S.A., based in Bolivia.
