Trump ramps up the pressure on Venezuela with fresh sanctions

US President Donald Trump today turned up the heat on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, signing an executive order to place new sanctions that will affect the country’s gold exports.

The order bans anyone in the US from engaging with people or businesses involved in “corrupt or deceptive” Venezuelan gold sales, which Trump believes had been used as a vehicle by Maduro to “finance illicit activities [and] fill its coffers”.

National security adviser John Bolton said the move was part of a crackdown on “the troika of tyranny”, naming Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua as culprits.

Earlier in the day, Trump had raised hopes of relaxing US aggression on foreign policy, after he said a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping had gone well.

The news came after the US had refused to continue trade negotiations with China until it met several demands from the White House.