US lifts sanctions on Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim president

One more gesture in his favor. The US government on Wednesday lifted the sanctions it had imposed against Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez, a new step in the normalization of relations between the two countries.

Washington removed Delcy Rodriguez from its blacklist via a publication on the website of the government service responsible for economic sanctions (Ofac). In the process, the interim president “welcomed Trump’s decision” concerning her.

Almost three months ago to the day, the United States captured the now deposed President Nicolas Maduro during a military operation in Caracas.

Gestures of appeasement

Since then, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed the interim presidency and multiplied concessions and gestures of appeasement towards the United States, while Donald Trump repeatedly repeats that it is he who now de facto leads the country from Washington.

In particular, he intends to have a say in the exploitation of the country’s immense oil reserves. Ofac, which reports to the American Department of Finance, is also lifting in stages the embargo put in place in 2019 on the country’s black gold.

On Monday, the United States announced the resumption of operations of its embassy in Venezuela, seven years after its closure.

The US sanctions involved a freeze on any assets held by Delcy Rodriguez in the United States and prohibited American companies and citizens from doing business with her.