US Increases Bounty for Maduro Post Venezuela’s New Term Inauguration

By Staff, Agencies

The US State Department has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from $15 million to $25 million.

It also offered $25 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

It further created a new reward of up to $15 million for the arrest or conviction of Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

Finally, it announced that it is placing new sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials in order to freeze any assets they have in the United States.

The US government has claimed that the rewards and the new round of sanctions are meant to show “solidarity with the Venezuelan people” and put pressure on Maduro and his allies.

President Maduro swore to maintain peace during his third six-year term in office when he took office on Friday.

US hostility towards Venezuela began over two decades ago with the Bolivarian Revolution led by late Venezuelan revolutionary leader Hugo Chavez.