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It鈥檚 been years since the United States has had anything approaching a working relationship with Venezuela, the leftist-populist South American country most often associated in the US with oil and deceased leader Hugo Chavez.

Still, the Obama administration has resisted congressional efforts to slap Venezuela with sanctions over a brutal crackdown on opposition political forces earlier this year. The administration reasoned that such US action could enflame Venezuela鈥檚 domestic relations and make a peaceful settlement among the country鈥檚 deeply divided factions more difficult.

But in recent days pressure from Congress spiked in the wake of another point of contention with Venezuela 鈥� the failed extradition on drug-trafficking charges of a former confidant of Mr. Chavez 鈥� and on Wednesday a frustrated State Department threw in the towel on the de-escalation approach.

Citing the repression this spring of protests against the government of President Nicholas Maduro 鈥� in which more than 40 people died in the demonstrations, scores were jailed and came out injured, and dozens remain in prison 鈥� the State Department announced a ban on visas for Venezuelan officials the US believes were involved.

The State Department did not name any individuals whose visas will be revoked. But congressional officials whose offices were informed of the action said it involves police and military authorities directly involved in the abuse, as well as Venezuelan officials, including ministers and presidential advisers, who played a role in planning or ordering the repression.

鈥淲ith this step we underscore our commitment to holding accountable individuals who commit human rights abuses,鈥� State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement Wednesday. 鈥淲hile we will not publicly identify these individuals because of visa record confidentiality, our message is clear: Those who commit such abuses will not be welcome in the United States.鈥�

Official reaction in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, was dismissive, with Foreign Minister Elias Jaua telling reporters that the State Department should 鈥渃alm down.鈥� He called the US action immature, and said it smacked of a reactionary 鈥渆mpire鈥� whose place in the Western Hemisphere is fading.

鈥淭hese are desperate actions,鈥� Mr. Jaua said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e meant against us, but at root they are recognition of revolutionary Venezuela鈥檚 important role in building the new Latin America.

鈥淲e welcome their fury!鈥� he then added.聽聽聽聽

The State Department action follows the failed extradition of a prominent Venezuelan general 鈥� as far as US legal authorities are concerned, an alleged drug runner 鈥� who slipped from their grasp and returned to Venezuela to a hero鈥檚 welcome.

Last week Gen. Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela鈥檚 intelligence chief under President Chavez, was detained in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba on US drug charges. The US government sought to extradite General Carvajal, accusing the man known as El Pollo, or 鈥渢he chicken,鈥� of transporting tons of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico, with the US the presumed destination.

Carvajal has long been banned from entering the US, according to officials with knowledge of the government鈥檚 file on him. The US determined in 2008 that the Venezuelan general had close ties to Colombia鈥檚 FARC guerrilla group, which the US considers to be a terrorist organization involved in narco-trafficking.聽聽

The Venezuelan government cried foul at the detention, insisting Carvajal had diplomatic immunity since he was in Aruba to assume duties as consul-general there. Venezuela also warned Aruba that it could face economic retribution over his detention.

Under pressure from Dutch authorities, Aruban local authorities released Carvajal Sunday 鈥� and he returned to an enthusiastic reception in Caracas, even getting a kiss from Venezuela鈥檚 first lady.

The US insists the Carvajal incident has nothing to do with Wednesday鈥檚 visa ban action. But what is clear is that congressional pressure for some kind of sanctions on Venezuela, already strong, only picked up steam after Carvajal鈥檚 release.

In the Senate, Republican Bob Corker of Tennessee, the highest-ranking GOP member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced Tuesday that he was dropping his opposition to a Venezuela sanctions bill in light of Venezuela鈥檚 鈥渄isruption鈥� of Carvajal鈥檚 extradition to the US.

Corker said he would have preferred a 鈥渞egional dialogue鈥� and 鈥渁 negotiated, democratic way forward鈥� in Venezuela instead of punitive measures. But he said he decided after Carvajal鈥檚 release that 鈥渢he Venezuelan government鈥檚 complicity with criminal activity 鈥� threatens its neighbors and the US [and] demands a firm response from our country and other nations.鈥�

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D) of New Jersey hailed the visa bans as 鈥渁n unambiguous and direct message to President Maduro鈥� that the US will not tolerate 鈥渟ystematic human rights violations conducted by a merciless government.鈥� He called for Senate passage of his legislation that calls for assets freezes, additional visa bans, and $15 million for democracy promotion in Venezuela. The House has already passed similar legislation.

Passage into law of such legislation would almost certainly raise cries of Yankee interference in Venezuela鈥檚 internal affairs 鈥� but for now Venezuelan officials are opting to belittle US actions.

Commenting on Carvajal鈥檚 release at his press conference, Jaua, the foreign minister, said he was pleased the former general was back home, but he scoffed at claims that Venezuela threatened Aruba to spring Caravajal from jail.

鈥淲e are not like the United States,鈥� he said, 鈥渨e do not extort or exert pressure on anybody.鈥�