The U.S. extended the national emergency authorizing sanctions against Belarus for one year beyond June 16, 2021, the White House said June 8. It said Belarusian government actions “continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people for supporting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s regime as it undermines democracy and violates human rights, the agency said June 9. The sanctions target Camila Antonia Ortega Murillo, the coordinator of the Creative Economy Commission and daughter of Ortega; Leonardo Ovidio Reyes Ramirez, president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua; National Assembly Deputy Edwin Ramon Castro Rivera; and Julio Modesto Rodriguez Balladares, a brigadier general in the Nicaraguan Army and executive director of the Military Social Welfare Institute. OFAC Director Andrea Gacki said the agency will “continue to expose those officials who continue to ignore the will of its citizens.”
President Joe Biden issued a June 8 executive order expanding sanctions authorities against people involved in human rights abuses or threatening the security of the Western Balkans. The order “expands the designation criteria” to authorize sanctions against corruption in the region and “other actions that obstruct key institutions and international agreements,” a fact sheet said. The Treasury Department will issue the sanctions in consultation with the State Department, the order said, and will allow the U.S. to target a broader range of actors that threaten the “peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity” of the Western Balkans. In a letter to Congress, the White House said the order specifically “broadens the geographic scope of the existing sanctions regime” to cover Albania.
The Treasury Department held another discussion with industry on the impact of U.S. sanctions as the agency conducts a review of its sanctions regimes (see 2105280004). The meeting, held last week between Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and small-business representatives, included a discussion on how Treasury’s sanctions “play a role as small businesses seek to grow and expand,” the agency said June 2. “[T]hrough the sanctions review [Adeyemo] seeks to identify ways to strengthen the sanctions tool to best advance our national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives,” Treasury said. The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said June 7 that it participated in the discussion.
The U.S. sanctioned six Bulgarians and 64 entities for their “extensive roles in corruption" in Bulgaria, the Treasury and State departments said June 2. OFAC said the designations represented the “single largest action targeting corruption to date” and demonstrated the agency’s commitment to sanctioning corrupt business networks. The measures target former and current Bulgarian government officials -- Vassil Kroumov Bojkov, Delyan Slavchev Peevski and Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov -- along with 64 of their entities. The State Department also announced that it designated Alexander Manolev, Petar Haralampiev and Krasimir Tomov, as well as Peevski and Zhelyazkov, for corruption.
The U.S. hasn’t ruled out imposing sanctions against Russia for its potential involvement in the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline last month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters June 2. While President Joe Biden has said he doesn’t believe the Russian government was involved in the attack, he said the people behind the attack are likely living in Russia. “We’re not taking options off of the table,” Psaki said when asked whether the U.S. was considering more sanctions. Psaki said Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin may discuss the matter when they meet later this month. She also said the U.S. is “doing our own review of a range of options.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control renewed a general license authorizing transactions between certain companies and Petroleos de Venezuela SA, OFAC said June 1. General License No. 8H, which replaces No. 8G (see 2011170015), authorizes transactions between PdVSA and Chevron, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Weatherford International, with certain restrictions, through 12:01 a.m. EST Dec. 1. The license was scheduled to expire June 3.
The United Nations Security Council renewed its arms embargo and asset freezes against South Sudan for another year, the council said May 28. The UNSC renewed the embargo and sanctions until May 31, 2022, but it said it is ready to “review” the measures, including the “progressive lifting” of the embargo, due to the “progress achieved” by the country. It extended the mandate for the South Sudan panel of experts until July 1, 2022.
The Treasury Department met with non-governmental organizations last week amid criticism that U.S. sanctions are unintentionally affecting humanitarian aid shipments (see 2105260047). Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo, who is leading a review of the agency’s sanctions programs (see 2105270041), met with 11 NGOs to ensure sanctions are “thoughtfully calibrated to target malign actors and activity while balancing essential humanitarian activities,” Treasury said May 27. The agency is also “closely evaluating” feedback on how sanctions are affecting human rights, corruption and persecuted minority and diaspora communities.
The Council of the European Union announced it is extending restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until June 1, 2022, a May 27 news release said. The one-year extension comes “in light of the continued repression of the civil population in the country.” The current list imposes an assets freeze and a travel ban on 283 individuals, and an assets freeze on an additional 70 entities. The measures were introduced in 2011.