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Washington DC: the United States on 17 September 2019, designated three individuals and 16 entities connected with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s associate Alex Saab and his business partner Alvaro Pulido.  This action increases pressure on Saab and Pulido, who were designated on July 25, 2019, for their looting of Venezuela’s food subsidy program.

With this action, the sanctioned individuals and entities will be denied access to the U.S. financial system.  In addition, a freeze will be placed on any U.S. assets associated with such individuals and entities.

Maduro and his associates continue to use a social welfare program as a political weapon, as evidenced by the former regime’s current attempts to coerce beneficiaries into signing an anti-democracy and free speech petition, targeted at President Donald Trump, as a precondition for access to the government-subsidized food program.  Today’s action further degrades the ability of Saab and his associates to use Venezuela’s food subsidy program to steal from the Venezuelan people.