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VENEZUELA'S POLITICAL CRISIS

US Department of Treasury blacklists two former Venezuelan officials

Washington claims they "continue to engage in significant corruption and fraud to the detriment of the people of Venezuela"

WASHINGTON, June 28. /TASS/. The United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s former energy minister and his deputy, the US Department of the Treasury said in a statement.

The blacklisted officials were identified as Minister of Electric Power and President of the National Electric Corporation (CORPOELEC) Luis Alfredo Motta Dominguez and Deputy Minister of Finance, Investment, and Strategic Alliances for the Ministry of Electric Power Eustiquio Jose Lugo Gomez .

Washington claims they "continue to engage in significant corruption and fraud to the detriment of the people of Venezuela." The statement also claims they "enriched themselves and contributed to the electricity crisis."

The US Department of the Treasury attributes the country’s recent massive power outages to "years of massive corruption, neglect, and mismanagement of Venezuela’s electricity infrastructure."

In a separate development, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida charged Lugo Gomez , 55, and Motta Dominguez, 60, of money laundering on the US territory.

On March 7, the Simon Bolivar hydroelectric station in Venezuela crashed, which led to the largest blackout in Venezuela’s history. On March 9, an explosion occurred at the electrical substation of the city of Ciudad Bolivar and most of the country was once again was cut off from electricity.

Later on March 25, a new large-scale power outage occurred, when at least 16 of the 23 states in the country were left without electricity. On March 30, 21 states lost power. Blackouts have caused mass protests and looting in Venezuela.

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Political crisis in Venezuela

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