Effective immediately, Canada is imposing sanctions against Venezuelan officials by listing five individuals who are current or former senior officials of the Venezuelan government and who have engaged in activities that have directly or indirectly undermined democracy in Venezuela. All five have been implicated in fraudulently declaring Nicolás Maduro the winner of the July 28, 2024, presidential election.

In light of the deteriorating situation in Venezuela, the Special Economic Measures (Venezuela) Regulations have been amended to enable Canada to impose sanctions more effectively in cases of grave breaches of international peace and security, gross and systematic human rights violations and significant acts of corruption.

Canadian measures

The Special Economic Measures (Venezuela) Regulations impose a prohibition on dealings related to the listed individuals and entities, effectively freezing any assets they may have in Canada. Persons in Canada and Canadians outside the country are prohibited from dealing in the property of the listed individuals, and the listed individuals are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The specific prohibitions are set out in the regulations.

The names of the individuals added to the schedule of these regulations are:

• Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez Rodríguez, President of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice
• Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares, Judge of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice
• Rosalba Gil Pacheco, member of the National Electoral Council
• Edward Miguel Briceño Cisneros, judge
• Luis Ernesto Dueñez Reyes, prosecutor