EU Not Planning Broad Venezuela Sanctions But May Target Individuals - Mogherini

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union is not considering country-wide sanctions against Venezuela, but member states may mull restrictions against individuals, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday.

"The European Union doesn't have sanctions on Venezuela in place and is not considering putting sanctions on Venezuela in place. We have targeted individual restrictions, measures on individuals… It is possible, it is not excluded that member states will consider further restricted measures on individuals of similar nature," Mogherini told reporters after a Foreign Affairs Council.

The EU foreign policy chief further stressed that the sanctions currently in place did not affect Venezuelan people.

Her remarks come after in November, the European Union renewed targeted sanctions for a year, until 14 November 2019. Meanwhile, the situation in Venezuela grew tense in January when opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the country's "interim president." A number of EU states as well as the United States supported Guaido's claim for leadership.

READ MORE: Caracas Calls on International Contact Group to Respect Venezuelan Authorities

However, Russia, China, Cuba and other states have backed incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.