US to revoke more visas of Venezuelan government Officials - Abrams

"The revocations of visas, I announced last week…for Venezuelans who have visas for the United States and whose visas were cancelled," Abrams said on Tuesday. "Stay tuned for further announcements of visa cancellations and revocations."

State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino said in a statement on Friday that Washington revoked US visas from 49 Venezuelan officials and their family members over their support for President Nicolas Maduro.

The United States has imposed numerous rounds of sanctions on Venezuela. In January, Washington blocked around $7 billion in assets belonging to Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that the restrictions were tantamount to illegal seizing.

The political crisis in Venezuela escalated in late January, when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term earlier that month, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

The United States immediately recognized Guaido, and many of its allies followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro.

Image: Wikimedia Commons