The United States confirmed this Wednesday (17) that it will partially reverse the relief of sanctions against Venezuela’s oil and gas, accusing the South American country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, of not fulfilling his electoral commitments by disabling the main opposition candidate, María Corina Machado.
The Treasury Department has decided not to renew the relief, which expires at midnight today, and has set a deadline of May 31 for foreign companies to cease all Venezuelan oil and gas production and export operations they have maintained for the past six years. months.
From now on, companies that want to do business with the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) must request individual authorizations from the US Treasury that will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
The American government issued the so-called General License 44 in October last year, which suspended sanctions against Venezuelan oil and gas for six months, as an incentive for Maduro to comply with the Barbados Agreements signed with the opposition in order to hold elections. democratic and competitive.
However, Machado, the main opposition candidate, was disqualified from running in the July 28 elections, and electoral authorities did not allow her replacement, Corina Yoris, to register to contest the election.
The US also reported a series of arrests of politicians and activists in Venezuela.
The end of General License 44 means that all activities that were being carried out under this permission must cease within 45 days and that no new operations will be permitted.
In its place, the US Treasury will issue License 44A, which states that companies must apply for specific authorizations to do business in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Washington may deny these licenses when it considers that they violate U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
During the six months of sanctions relief, Caracas expanded business with foreign companies, and the country’s oil production increased by 18% in the first quarter of the year.
The reimposition of sanctions on Venezuela has sparked a debate within US President Joe Biden’s administration over the possibility that they could lead to increased migration to the US and higher gasoline prices.
According to American sources, Maduro complied with some aspects of the Barbados Agreements, such as updating voter registration or authorizing international electoral observation missions.
But for the US, Machado’s disqualification and Yoris’ non-registration represent a flagrant violation of agreements for competitive elections.
Despite the reimposition of sanctions, the same sources assure that the US is not giving up and will continue talks with representatives of Maduro, the opposition and other governments in the region to save the Barbados Agreements.