The
United States on Monday imposed
sanctions on seven Venezuelan politicians it said led a bid by President Nicolas Maduro to wrest control of the country's congress from U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Earlier this month, troops blocked Guaido from entering congress long enough for the Socialist Party to declare allied legislator Luis Parra as head of parliament.
Washington blacklisted Parra and six of his allies "who, at the bidding of Maduro, attempted to block the democratic process in
Venezuela," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.