Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado waves a Venezuelan national flag during a rally to protest official results declaring President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the July presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela on August 17. (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov. 23 (AP): Venezuela’s government announced Friday a new investigation into opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, continuing its efforts to blame her for economic sanctions imposed on the South American country by the United States and other nations. Machado will be investigated for expressing support for a bill passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this week that would block the federal government from entering into contracts with companies that do business with the Venezuelan government.

A statement from Venezuela’s prosecutor’s office announcing the latest investigation said Machado’s comments “constitute the crime of treason against the country,” conspiracy with foreign countries and association. The statement characterized the parliament’s bill as an attempt “to expand the catalog of sanctions” against Venezuela.

The announcement came four days after the US government recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the country’s “elect president”. President Nicolás Maduro claimed to have won the July election, but he and his government have refused to show vote numbers supporting his presumed victory, which was organized last year by the main opposition coalition with more than 90% of support not appearing in the July 28 vote because Maduro’s government banned her from running, claiming she had sought the economic sanctions imposed by the United States last decade in an attempt to topple Maduro.

Machado’s handpicked replacement was also barred from representing the opposition coalition Unitary Platform. That prompted the faction’s leadership to choose González as a candidate. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with ruling party loyalists, declared Maduro the winner hours after polls closed. Unlike previous presidential elections, election authorities did not provide detailed vote counts. But the opposition coalition collected tallies from 80% of the country’s electronic voting machines and posted them online. González and Machado then said the voting records showed the former diplomat won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.