Venezuela approves bill targeting domestic supporters of US sanctions 

Venezuelan lawmakers have approved a measure that would implement steeper penalties for those who support US sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

On Thursday, the country’s National Assembly passed the so-called Simon Bolivar Liberator law, which bans officials who approve US sanctions against Venezuela from holding office for up to 60 years.

“Anyone who promotes, instigates, requests, invokes, favours, facilitates, supports or participates in the adoption of coercive measures … will be punished with imprisonment of 25 to 30 years,” the law also states.

The law also allows broadcast media to be shut down if they support sanctions, while text-based media may be hit with fines of up to $51.7m.

The bill is the latest effort by the Maduro government to crack down on the country’s political opposition, who maintain that they were the true winners of the July presidential election, in which many cast doubt on Maduro’s claims of victory.

The opposition has released precinct data that they say shows a convincing win over Maduro, who has resisted calls by regional governments to release data that could validate his claims of victory.

In the time since, protests against the government have been met with a harsh crackdown by police and a series of laws that human rights groups say are aimed at stifling dissent.

The Venezuelan National Assembly – dominated by the pro-Maduro governing party – voted in favour of the law after the United States House of Representatives passed the Bolivar Act, which would ban US government bodies from working with anyone who has ties to the Maduro government.

The US Senate has yet to approve that bill, which Maduro himself has denounced as “trash”.

The US has stepped up pressure on the Maduro government in the last two weeks, recognising opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the country’s rightful leader and announcing a new round of sanctions targeting figures allegedly involved in the post-election crackdown.

Gonzalez, who fled to Spain during the post-election crackdown, has said that he intends to return to Venezuela in early January when the winner of the election is set to assume office. Gonzalez has said that he is “morally prepared” to be detained if he returns to the country.