WASHINGTON, April 1 – The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that economic sanctions have been lifted against Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, marking a significant shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations just under three months since American forces apprehended former President Nicolas Maduro during an operation in the Venezuelan capital.
The Trump administration has been working closely with Rodriguez’s interim government, which took power after Maduro’s capture. This cooperation includes negotiations for American purchases of Venezuelan oil and the issuance of sanctions exemptions designed to promote U.S. business investment in the South American nation.
American forces took Maduro into custody on January 3 following an extended period of escalating diplomatic tensions between Washington and Caracas. His arrest triggered a series of political transformations throughout Venezuela. Maduro, along with his spouse Cilia Flores, currently faces drug trafficking allegations in a New York courtroom.
Officials from Venezuela’s communications ministry, which manages all media inquiries for the government, have not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the sanctions removal.
