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WASHINGTON, Nov. 9-- The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanction against 10 current or former Venezuelan government officials, who it said "are associated with undermining electoral processes, media censorship, or corruption in government-administered food programs in Venezuela." The sanctioned officials included Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales, Venezuela's minister of urban agriculture, Ernesto Emilio Villegas Poljak, the newly appointed minister of culture and the former minister of communication and information, and Julian Isaias Rodriguez Diaz, ambassador to Italy. As a result of the actions, all assets of these individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen, and U.S. persons will also be generally prohibited from dealing with them. The sanction followed the Venezuelan national elections on Oct. 15. The U.S. Treasury Department said in an announcement that they were marked by "numerous irregularities that strongly suggest fraud helped the ruling party unexpectedly win a majority of governorships." "Despite calls for an independent audit of the election results, the Venezuelan government proceeded to swear in the winning candidates through an oath of office," said the department. "Our message remains clear: the United States will not stand aside while the Maduro regime continues to destroy democratic order and prosperity in Venezuela," said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin in the announcement. | 
