Washington, August 6 (RHC)-- U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in the United States, stepping up pressure on Caracas with the aim of ousting President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump issued an executive order on Monday, blocking “all property and interests in property of the Government of Venezuela that are in the United States.”  The measure, the first of its kind against a government in the Western Hemisphere in over 30 years, also banned transactions with the Venezuelan government.

It also prohibited “the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of” designated Venezuelan figures.  The order came a few days after Trump threatened to impose a blockade on Venezuela as rounds of U.S. sanctions failed to turn the Venezuelan military against Maduro.

Washington has already imposed rounds of sanctions against Venezuela to oust Maduro and have him replaced with opposition figure Juan Guaido, who declared himself “interim president” earlier this year.  The Trump administration has confiscated Venezuela’s state oil assets based in the United States and has been channeling them -- millions of dollars -- to Guaido.