The US Treasury Department sanctioned 13 Venezuelan government officials Wednesday, including officials with state oil company PDVSA, in an effort to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abandon plans for a controversial vote Sunday. In a call with reporters, a senior administration official said that President Donald Trump is expected to issue “strong and swift” sanctions on Venezuela, including a ban on imports of Venezuelan crude oil into the US, if Maduro goes forward with the vote Sunday to elect a constituent assembly to redraft the country’s constitution. “We are very concerned about the rapid erosion of democracy and the move towards dictatorship by President Maduro,” the official said. “We see [Sunday] as a critical line that, if crossed, could mean the end of democracy in Venezuela.” Officials declined Wednesday to discuss in detail the specific oil-related sanctions they were considering and whether the sanctions would be imposed immediately […]