Eight Venezuelan Officials Sanctioned

Summary#

These final regulations add eight Venezuelan officials to Canada’s sanctions list under the Special Economic Measures (Venezuela) Regulations. The listings were registered on March 20, 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette on April 9, 2025, and they bar most financial and commercial dealings with the named people and can make them inadmissible to Canada.

What it does#

• Adds these eight individuals to the schedule of listed persons under the Special Economic Measures (Venezuela) Regulations:

  • Douglas Arnoldo Rico Gonzalez (born July 15, 1965 or September 28, 1969)
  • Carlos Enrique Terán Hurtado
  • Carlos Alberto Calderon Chirinos (born July 3, 1970)
  • Florencio Ramón Escalona (born October 27, 1962)
  • Leonel Alberto García Rivas (born May 24, 1983)
  • Ronny Fernando González Montesinos (born May 14, 1974)
  • Manuel Enrique Castillo Rengifo (born November 24, 1969)
  • Jose Ramon Figuera Valdez (born October 13, 1974)

• Prohibits people in Canada and Canadians abroad from, among other things:

  • dealing in the property of listed persons;
  • entering into transactions with them;
  • providing them with services or transferring property to them;
  • otherwise making funds or goods available to them.

• As a result of being listed, the named individuals are rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

• The regulations came into force when they were registered (listed as March 20, 2025) and were applied before they appeared in the Canada Gazette (published April 9, 2025).

Who's affected#

• The eight named Venezuelan officials are directly affected. They face asset freezes, travel limits to Canada, and a ban on dealings with Canadians or people in Canada.
• Canadian banks and other financial institutions must screen for and block transactions involving these individuals.
• Canadian businesses and service providers are prohibited from working with the listed persons. The government expects limited practical impact on most Canadian businesses because the newly listed people appear to have few known ties to Canada.
• People or organizations in Canada involved in enforcing or investigating sanctions — including Global Affairs Canada, financial regulators, and law-enforcement agencies — will manage compliance and enforcement.

Why it matters#

• These are targeted sanctions meant to increase pressure on Venezuelan officials accused by the Canadian government of involvement in serious human rights violations and actions that undermine democracy.
• For everyday Canadians, the main effects are indirect: banks and businesses must screen for the new names, and trying to do business with listed people can lead to penalties.
• Legal penalties for knowingly breaking the rules include a fine of up to $25,000, or imprisonment for up to one year on summary conviction, or up to five years on indictment.
• The government says these measures are focused and should have minimal broader economic impact on Canadians while signalling Canada's stance on human rights and democratic norms in Venezuela.