The United States Government announced this Wednesday (04/17/2024) that it will partially reverse the relief of sanctions on Venezuelan oil and gas, accusing the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, of failing to fulfill his electoral commitments with the disqualification of the opposition candidate María Corina Machado, facing the presidential elections on July 28.
The Treasury Department decided not to renew the relief that expires midnight and set a deadline of May 31 for foreign companies to halt all oil and gas production and export operations that have taken place over the past six months.
The government of President Joe Biden is dissatisfied with the evolution of the electoral process in Venezuela since the signing of the Barbados Agreement last October, because it believes that Maduro has fulfilled part of the deal, but has ignored its essence. This is because the Venezuelan authorities set an electoral calendar, but disqualified opposition candidates.
It will be seen case by case
From now on, companies that want to do business with the state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) must request individual authorizations from the US Treasury that will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Washington may deny these permits when it considers that they violate the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.
During the six months of sanctions relief, Caracas expanded agreements with foreign companies and oil production increased in the country by 18 percent in the first quarter of the year.
The United States is mainly concerned about the fact that Chavismo’s main rival, María Corina Machado, remains disqualified, and Corina Yoris, nominated by her to replace her in the elections, has also been vetoed. “We have witnessed a disturbing campaign of harassment and intimidation against opposition actors solely for exercising their political rights,” said a senior US official, referring to the seven members of Machado’s campaign team detained and many others under arrest warrants. .
DZC (EFE, AFP)
