US offers $25m reward for Venezuelan president’s arrest as he begins third term

The United States (US) government has offered a reward of up to $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan president.

In a statement on Friday, the US treasury said the same reward would apply to information that leads to Maduro’s conviction.

The bounty hunt comes as Maduro begins his third six-year term in office.

Maduro was sworn in on Friday after a disputed election win last year.

Partial results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner, but the poll was marked by accusations of fraud and counting irregularities.

The US and multiple global leaders voiced skepticism about the results while Panama suspended diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

During his swearing-in, Maduro said his new term would be marked by peace, prosperity, and democracy. But the US dismissed his promises.

“Since last year’s election, Maduro and his associates have continued their repressive actions in Venezuela,” Bradley Smith, acting undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said.

“The United States, together with our like-minded partners, stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people’s vote for new leadership and rejects Maduro’s fraudulent claim of victory.”

The statement said in the months after the Venezuelan presidential elections, the US and its allies in the region have pushed Maduro to commit to a democratic transition.

“Instead, Maduro and his representatives have continued their violent repression in an attempt to maintain power and have ignored the Venezuelan people’s calls from for democratic accountability,” the statement added.

The $25 million offer, made by the department of state, is extended to Maduro’s minister of interior, justice, and peace, as well as a new reward of up to $15 million for Vladimir Padrino, the defense minister.

The department of state said it also imposed new visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned officials, “who have undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and are responsible for acts of repression”.