Gustavo González López, the new Minister of Defense in Venezuela sanctioned by the US and the EU
Gustavo González López, sanctioned for human rights violations by the US and the European Union (EU), became the new head of Defense for the country.
TL;DR
- Gustavo González López, sanctioned for human rights violations by the US and EU, is the new Minister of Defense in Venezuela.
- He previously served as director general of the Sebin (Venezuelan Intelligence Service) and head of the DGCIM (General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence).
- Both Sebin and DGCIM have been cited by NGOs and the UN for human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and torture.
- A UN mission stated there were reasonable grounds to believe González López had knowledge of and contributed to grave violations against political opponents.
- González López has been sanctioned by the US since 2015, Canada in 2017, and the EU and Switzerland in 2018.
- He previously held the position of Minister of the Interior from 2015 to 2016.