US bars some Venezuela officials from US travel

Amid escalating tensions with socialist Venezuela, the US State Department today announced sanctions against officials it said committed human rights abuses during a crackdown on anti-government protests.
The department is imposing a travel ban on a list of unnamed Venezuelan officials, jumping ahead of Congress, which has been pondering a similar move since the height of the protests in March.
The visa restrictions, the US' strongest action yet against the South American country, "underscores our commitment to holding accountable individuals who commit human rights abuses" deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
The action targets 24 high-ranking Venezuelan officials including Cabinet members, senior judiciary members, and senior military, police and National Guard members, according to Congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

In announcing the sanctions, the department cited the months-long street protest movement that left dozens of people dead earlier this year. It said the Venezuelan government had responded in many instances with "arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force."
The department declined to publicly identify those on the list, citing confidentiality rules surrounding visa processing.

US Sen Marco Rubio, R-Florida, a chief advocate of increased US involvement in Venezuela, in May released a list of 23 "human rights violators that should be sanctioned." The list named governors, Venezuela's chief prosecutor and the country's minister of justice and the interior.
Today, Rubio applauded the travel ban, but said the administration should do more to punish bad actors and "support the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people."

The State Department move comes days after one of the most dramatic diplomatic dustups between the two countries in recent memory.
On Sunday, Venezuela secured the release of a powerful Venezuelan general who had been detained in Aruba at the request of US authorities. The US has accused Hugo Carvajal, former head of military intelligence, of using his high-level position to protect drug traffickers.
He was expected to face extradition to the US Instead, after initially arresting him, Aruba released Carvajal back to a hero's welcome in Caracas.