US President Joe Biden signed the Sanctions Warning Executive Order. Photo: AP
US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order stating it will enforce sanctions against countries that arbitrarily hold US citizens, while promising to offer greater assistance and support to the families of those detained abroad.
The government will also issue a warning to its citizens about the risk of traveling and arbitrarily detained and used as hostages Venezuela, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Burma, all cataloged under the “D” indicator. Let us remember that the “K” indicator already exists, which refers to the risk of kidnapping and hostage-taking by non-state actors.
Washington’s initiative in the wake of the controversy generated in the US by the arrest in Russia of basketball player Brittney Griner, after the wife of the WNBA star publicly declared that Biden wasn’t doing enough to free her.
WNBA star Brittney Griner, to be held in Russia. Photo: AP
Griner was arrested in Moscow last February after he was discovered had hash oil vaporize, a substance prohibited in that country. The woman admitted all chargesbut he assured him that he had no intention of committing a crime and asked Biden for explicit help in a letter.
Order details signed by Joe Biden
The indicator of whether there is a risk of being detained and used as a hostage in a country will be reported on the Department of State website under the letter “D”and it will be updated as the government’s risk assessment changes, so that the current six countries may lose that category in the future and others will gain it.
Biden’s executive order also urges various branches of government to share relevant intelligence information about their situation and possible progress and negotiations for their release or return to the United States with detainees’ families.
The US State Department will release new travel announcements for its citizens. Photo: EFE
In addition, the president has commissioned experts from various government agencies to develop strategies and explore options for stopping future hostage-taking cases and arbitrary arrests abroad.
In relation to the imposition of sanctions against those responsible, these it can be financial and apply both to those who had a direct involvement in the arrest and to those who participated indirectly.
The case of Venezuela
Only in Venezuela there 11 Americans arrestedyes Caracas arrested Cuban-American Jorge Alberto Fernández in 2021, but released him in March 2022 after a meeting between US and Venezuelan officials.
Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, two Americans accused of participating in a maritime invasion of Venezuela, were sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2020. And a former marine, Matthew Heath, was tried for “terrorism”.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. There are 11 Americans detained in Venezuela. Photo: AFP
There are also five former directors of the oil company Citgo, accused of corruption. A sixth was released in March. And a few days ago the State Department confirmed it Venezuela arrested three other Americanswithout revealing their identity.
Former US President Donald Trump led a lobbying campaign in 2019 in a failed attempt to remove Maduro from power, following allegations of fraud in the elections in which he was re-elected in 2018.
Source: AFP and EFE
Source: Clarin
