US Senate approves Venezuela sanctions bill

The United States Senate has approved a bill which would impose sanctions on Venezuelan officials found to have violated protesters' rights. Thousands of activists who took part in anti-government protests which erupted across the Latin American country in February were arrested. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for approval. The Obama administration opposed sanctions in the past but recently signalled it might support the bill. Relations between the two countries have been frosty since they recalled their ambassadors four years ago. The Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act targets current and former Venezuelan officials who directed "significant acts of violence or serious human rights abuses against persons associated with the anti-government protests in Venezuela that began on 4 February". More…