"I decided to name Maj. Gen. Gonzalez Lopez the minister of interior, justice and peace, so that he guarantees peace in the country, public and national security, with his American empire award," Maduro said in a statement released Monday.
Earlier in the day, Washington expanded its list of sanctioned Venezuelan officials to include seven new names, including Gonzalez Lopez. The officials named are barred from entering the United States and have had their US assets frozen. The White House has stated that they consider those sanctioned as being involved in the "erosion of human rights guarantees."
US President Barack Obama approved anti-Venezuela sanctions in December 2014. The restrictions targeted those allegedly responsible for human rights violations during February 2014 protests against Maduro's government. Caracas has accused Washington of trying to topple Venezuala's government and, in response, has cut down the size of the US diplomatic mission in the country.
