WASHINGTON, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Monday slapped sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after Venezuela held its National Constituent Assembly (ANC) on Sunday.
The following is a chronology of major sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela in the past several years.
-- On July 27, 2017, the United States announced sanctions on 13 current and former Venezuelan government officials to pressure Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro into halting his plan to rewrite the constitution.
-- On Feb. 13, 2017, the United States imposed sanctions on Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami for playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking.
-- On March 9, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a strongly-worded executive order designating Venezuela "a threat to national security" and imposing sanctions against several Venezuelan officials for alleged human rights violations.
One year later, Obama renewed the executive order for another year, saying Venezuela's political situation "has not improved."
-- On Feb. 2, 2015, the United States imposed visa restrictions against Venezuelan individuals over human rights abuses and corruption.
-- On Dec. 8, 2014, U.S. Congress passed legislation that levies sanctions against some Venezuelan officials, targeting those who directed "significant acts of violence or serious human rights abuses" against protesters during anti-government demonstrations earlier that year.
-- On Sept. 8, 2011, the United States imposed sanctions on four Venezuelan government officials for their support of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the narco-terrorist organization.
-- On May 24, 2011, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on seven foreign companies, including Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and Israeli Ofer Brothers Group, which it said were involved in providing Iran with gasoline and other refined petroleum products.
