US announces sanctions related to Venezuela’s food distribution program

The United States has announced new sanctions related to Venezuela's food distribution program titled as Local Committees for Supply and Production (CLAP).

Treasury sanctions corruption network stealing from Venezuela's food distribution program, CLAP and profiting off the starvation of the Venezuelan people https://t.co/oTTf0qDttP

— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) July 25, 2019

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Colombian national Alex Nain Saab Moran (Saab). He allegedly orchestrated a vast corruption network that enabled former President Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) and his regime to significantly profit from food imports and distribution in Venezuela. Saab personally also profited from overvalued contracts, including the Government's food subsidy program.

Besides Saab, the treasury has put sanctions on nine other individuals including oldest and youngest stepsons of Maduro as well as two sons of Saab Moran. Besides the individuals, 13 companies have also been designated or blocked for being owned or controlled by the sanctioned individuals or for other given reasons. The companies targeted are registered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, HongKong, Mexico, and other countries.

The new batch of sanctions has come after the US Treasury imposed restrictions on four individuals with ties to Venezuela's military counterintelligence agency on 19 July.

Venezuela has been in a state of a political and economic crisis since January after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust Maduro. The United States and 54 countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's head of state, while Russia, China, Turkey, Bolivia, and numerous other countries have acknowledged Maduro as the sole legitimate president of Venezuela.