Venezuela

1978-07-07

V-14211633

Luis Parra Rivero is a National Assembly Deputy (2021-2025) having been re-elected on 6 December 2020 in undemocratic parliamentary elections not recognised as free and fair by the UK. He was appointed Vice President of the National Assembly’s Permanent Commission on the Environment in January 2021. Parra Rivero had previously served as a National Assembly Deputy for the period 2016-2020. There are reasonable grounds to suspect that Parra has been involved in undermining democracy in Venezuela by attempting to take office as NA President on 5 January 2020 under an illegitimate process. The evidence indicates that Parra did not have the quorum for a session, the session was not moderated by the previous President of the National Assembly, and security forces blocked access to MPs that tried to enter the NA to participate in elections for a new National Assembly board. There are also reasonable grounds to suspect that Parra was involved with Operation Alacran, a scandal in which MPs were bribed, intimidated and coerced by the regime (or deputies co-opted by the regime) to not vote for opposition figurehead Juan Guaidó. There are lastly reasonable grounds to suspect that Parra has been involved in undermining democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela through his involvement in a corruption scandal related to the regime’s Committee of Supply and Demand (CLAP). There are also reasonable grounds to suspect that Parra is associated with a person who is involved in undermining democracy in Venezuela (Nicolas Maduro), through aiding Maduro’s attacks on and attempts to control the National Assembly.

The Director Disqualification Sanction was imposed on 09/04/2025.

2020-12-31

UK

The Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

UK country specific

Venezuela

Asset freeze and making available provisions, Trade sanctions, Travel bans

• The Regulations impose financial sanctions through a targeted asset freeze on designated persons and prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available. This involves the freezing of funds and economic resources (non-monetary assets, such as property or vehicles) of designated persons and ensuring that funds and economic resources are not made available to or for the benefit of designated persons, either directly or indirectly. • The effect of the Regulations is to impose a travel ban on persons who are designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of being made subject to immigration sanctions under the Sanctions Act. • Trade sanctions.

The Venezuela (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 came fully into force on 31 December 2020. They are intended to ensure that certain financial, trade and immigration sanctions relating to Venezuela continue to operate effectively. You should also review the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 and the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 to find out any amendments made to the Regulations. This sanctions regime is aimed at encouraging the government of Venezuela to respect democratic principles, to comply with international human rights law and to respect human rights. These regulations have replaced, with substantially the same effect, relevant existing EU legislation and related UK regulations.

Licensing and exception provisions are contained in Part 6 of the Regulations.