The United States announced the resumption of sanctions against Venezuela’s oil and gas sectors. A way of responding to Caracas’ decision not to respect the commitments made with a view to holding the presidential election this year. This week, Venezuela’s Supreme Court declared the main opposition candidate ineligible.
The United States announced on Tuesday that it was reactivating sanctions against the Venezuelan oil and gas sector, denouncing Caracas’ non-compliance with commitments made to hold a presidential election this year.
“Allow all presidential candidates to compete”
“In the absence of progress … including allowing all presidential candidates to compete in this year’s election, the United States will not renew the license (authorizing the purchase of oil and Venezuelan gas) when it expires on April 18, 2024,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. Washington had already announced Monday evening that it was again imposing sanctions against the public company Minerven, which operates gold mines.
The financial control body (Ofac) of the US Treasury Department indicated in a note that it was giving until February 13 to “complete any ongoing transactions” with Minerven. Representatives of President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition signed an electoral agreement in Barbados in October 2023 with a view to a presidential election in 2024. In response to this agreement, Washington re-authorized the purchase of gas and oil Venezuelans for a period of six months.
But Venezuela’s Supreme Court last week declared the main opposition candidate, Maria Corina Machado, ineligible to run in the presidential election. The Barbados agreement “remains the most viable mechanism” to resolve the crisis in Venezuela, the State Department reaffirms, “but this will require Maduro and his representatives to respect the road map and ensure that the “the opposition has the right to freely choose its candidates.”