The U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuelan lawmakers it accused of supporting the country’s leftist leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his planned legislative elections that Washington has said will likely be rigged, writes Reuters.

The Treasury in a statement accused the five blacklisted individuals of having acted as part of a scheme to manipulate parliamentary elections set to take place in December by “placing control of Venezuela’s opposition parties in the hands of politicians affiliated with Nicolas Maduro’s regime, undermining any credible opposition challenge to that regime”.

Most of the opposition and the U.S. have said the December elections will likely be rigged in favor of the ruling socialist party.

In a state television address later on Tuesday, Maduro said he “repudiated” the U.S. government’s move.