Washington asserts that President Nicolas Maduro falsely claimed victory in the July elections, and it recognizes opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the legitimate president-elect.

According to Reuters, the United States has imposed sanctions on 21 Venezuelan officials in response to their involvement in suppressing protests following the presidential election held in July, a senior Washington official reported on Wednesday.

The sanctions target members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s Cabinet, including Planning Minister Ricardo Jose Menedez, Communications Minister Freddy Alfred Nazaret, and senior intelligence officials Alexis Jose Rodriguez and Javier Jose Marcano.

The U.S. government asserts that Maduro falsely claimed victory in the election, with opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez being the true president-elect. Bradley Smith, the acting under secretary of the Treasury Department, criticized Maduro's actions, stating, "Maduro and his representatives' repressive actions in the wake of the Venezuelan presidential election are a desperate attempt to silence the voices of its citizens."

Venezuela's opposition, along with several Western nations and international organizations, have condemned the elections as non-transparent and called for the full publication of the ballots.

In response to the sanctions, Maduro’s government denounced them as a "desperate act" against "patriots." A statement from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry declared that the country "rejects with the utmost firmness" the sanctions imposed by the "outgoing US government" against the Venezuelan people, specifically targeting "a group of patriots who have dedicated themselves to safeguarding peace, stability, economic recovery, and national unity in the face of fascist violence."

Despite facing international pressure, Maduro has stood by his election victory, refusing to release detailed polling numbers to substantiate his claims.

At the same time, Venezuela is grappling with a severe economic crisis, with many of its citizens struggling due to acute shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods.