The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro[1], sending a clear signal of the Trump administration's opposition to his regime.

The move comes a day after Maduro declared a sweeping victory in a vote that will allow him to further consolidate his power inÿthe crisis-torn nation.

"Yesterday's illegitimate elections confirm that Maduro is a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement.

Venezuela's attorney general lambasted the election[2], which established a new legislative body made up entirely of Maduro's supporters.

"This is the end of freedom of expression," Attorney General Luisa Ortega said.

Follow CNN's updates from on the ground[3] in Venezuela.ÿ

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[1] http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/31/news/economy/treasury-venezuela-president-sanctions/index.html
[2] http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/31/americas/venezuela-constituent-assembly-election/index.html
[3] http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/25/americas/venezuela-on-the-ground/index.html [4] http://cnn.it/EmailFooter-TV
[5] http://cnn.it/EmailFooter-Web
[6] http://cnn.it/EmailFooter-Apps
[7] http://cnn.it/EmailFooter-go

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