TLTP
\nWASHINGTON
\nThe United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese firm, China National Electronics Import Export Corporation (CEIEC), accusing it of supporting President Nicolas Maduro\u2019s efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela.
\nWhile slamming China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that CEIEC provides cyber support and technical experts to state-run telecommunications providers which frequently blocks online independent newspapers and speeches by opposition members. \u201cToday, the United States is sanctioning CEIEC for supporting the illegitimate Maduro regime\u2019s efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela.
\nThese efforts include restricting internet service and conducting digital surveillance against political opponents of the regime. CEIEC has provided software, training, and technical expertise to the regime\u2019s entities,\u201d Pompeo said in a statement.
\n\u201cIt provides cyber support and technical experts to state-run telecommunications provider Venezuelan National Telephone Company (CANTV) which controls 70 percent of internet service in Venezuela and frequently blocks online independent newspapers and speeches by opposition members,\u201d he said.
\nThe US Department of Treasury said that CEIEC has been supporting the Maduro regime\u2019s malicious cyber efforts since 2017 and providing technical expertise to Venezuelan government entities, against the people of the country. \u201cThe illegitimate Maduro regime\u2019s reliance on entities like CEIEC to advance its authoritarian agenda further illustrates the regime\u2019s prioritization of power over democratic values and processes,\u201d said Secretary of Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin.
\n\u201cNon-democratic governments use Chinese-exported technologies such as those CEIEC has provided to repress political dissent within their own borders. CEIEC has been supporting the Maduro regime\u2019s malicious cyber efforts since 2017. CEIEC has provided software, training, and technical expertise to Venezuela government entities, which was then used against the people of Venezuela,\u201d the Treasury Department said in a statement.
\nThe statement said that the suite of software and hardware that CEIEC provided Venezuela is a commercialized version of China\u2019s \u201cGreat Firewall,\u201d a nationwide system of web blocks and filters, used to maintain strict online censorship. The Treasury Department further said the Maduro regime has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to suppress its citizens\u2019 democratic rights, intimidate them from expressing their political views, or overwhelm their voices using technology-enabled means, as buttressed by CEIEC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TLTP WASHINGTON The United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese firm, China National Electronics Import Export Corporation (CEIEC), accusing it of supporting President Nicolas Maduro\u2019s efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela. While slamming China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that CEIEC provides cyber support and technical experts to state-run telecommunications providers which frequently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n