US reaffirms sanctions on Venezuela as Blinken visits Dominican Republic

Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed Friday that the United States would enforce sanctions against Venezuela as he visited the Dominican Republic, which days earlier seized an airplane from President Nicolas Maduro.

"We have been very clear. We will implement our sanctions and, if we find violations of them, we will act. That's what we did, and that's what we will continue to do," Blinken told a news conference with President Luis Abinader.

The United States on Monday seized Maduro's plane in the Dominican Republic, with the Justice Department saying the aircraft was purchased for $13 million using a shell company to skirt US sanctions.

The move came as the United States presses Venezuela to release detailed vote tallies from July elections, voicing skepticism that Maduro secured another term, as electoral authorities announced.

"The will of the Venezuelan people could not have been more clear, but unfortunately that will and their votes were not reflected in what has happened since," Blinken said.

"Getting Venezuela on a clear democratic trajectory is vital," he said.

Asked by a journalist on reports of a second Venezuelan airplane in the Dominican Republic, Abinader said that his country has "received no legal notification" from the United States on another aircraft.

"We will continue to defend democratic rights and show our empathy over the situation in Venezuela," Abinader said.

Venezuela's foreign ministry has accused the United States of "piracy" for the seizure of the aircraft.

The opposition says that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzales Urrutia, received more than 60 percent of the votes despite wide impediments thrown by the government.

Since Maduro's reelection was confirmed, some 27 people have been killed and 192 injured, with another 2,400 arrested, in protests, according to official tallies.