The United States has slapped travel bans on a number of Venezuelan government officials accused of being behind human rights abuses, a senior US diplomat said Wednesday.

The United States has slapped travel bans on a number of Venezuelan government officials accused of being behind human rights abuses, a senior US diplomat said Wednesday.

After months of "excessive use of force" against opposition protests, the US "has decided to impose restrictions on travel to the United States by a number of Venezuelan government officials who have been responsible for or complicit in such human rights abuses," said deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.