EU renews sanctions on Venezuela for one year

Council of the EU decided on Tuesday to renew the targeted restrictive measures on Venezuela until Nov. 14, 2019 due to the continuing deterioration of the situation in the country.

"The Council put in place targeted restrictive measures on Venezuela on 13 Nov. 2017. These included an embargo on arms and on equipment for internal repression as well as a travel ban and an asset freeze on 18 individuals holding official positions and responsible for human rights violations as well as for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela," the council said in a statement.

It said the measures aimed at helping encourage democratic shared solutions to bring political stability to Venezuela and allow it to address the pressing needs of the population.

"These targeted measures are flexible and reversible and designed not to harm the Venezuelan population," it added.