Since Donald Trump became president, dozens of senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro himself, have been sanctioned by the Treasury Department over allegations of corruption, human rights abuses and drug trafficking. The focus on food is deliberate, said Billingslea, a key driver of U.S. policy toward Venezuela who led Trump’s national security transition team. A story published by the AP in 2016 revealed how senior Venezuelan officials and members of the military were enriching themselves by diverting money from food contracts. Critics say Maduro has essentially weaponized food, distributing the boxes primarily to government workers and supporters. Group Grand has been awarded contracts to provide at least 11.5 million CLAP boxes, according to a Venezuelan Food Ministry spreadsheet obtained by the AP.

Source: National Post September 24, 2018 04:05 UTC