The US Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions, affecting Tibisay Lucena Ramirez, president of both the National Electoral Council and the National Board of Elections, Elias Jose Jaua Milano, head of the Presidential Commission for the National Constituent Assembly among others on Wednesday. The move came ahead of Sunday's elections to the Constituent Assembly, which will be charged with rewriting the constitution.
"Intervention will be the next step. It is unacceptable and condemnable… I am sure that Bolivarianism and Chavismo supporters are going to resist the intervention of the US government that could result in an armed conflict," Morales posted on his Twitter account.
In March, the Venezuelan Supreme Court decided to absorb the legislative power of the state’s National Assembly. While the controversial decision was immediately reversed amid backlash, supporters of the opposition-controlled parliament, who strive for the dismissal of the court's justices, took to the streets in early April. The series of protests which then ensued have so far claimed the lives of over 100 people. Earlier in the day, Venezuelan Interior Minister Nestor Luis Reverol announced that a ban street protests was set to start Friday and stay in effect until August 1. The country’s opposition responded with a call for another protest.
