Don't Relax Venezuela Sanctions, Senators Say
The U.S. shouldn’t remove any sanctions against Venezuela in negotiations with the Nicolas Maduro government, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a letter to the White House released this week. The two lawmakers urged the Biden administration against granting Chevron a license to resume certain oil activities in Venezuela and said it shouldn’t remove any sanctions on Venezuelan nationals, the Venezuelan Central Bank, the Venezuelan Economic and Social Development Bank, and state-owned mining company CVG Compania General de Mineria de Venezuela.
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“Conceding any of the above actions would undermine prospects for the return of democracy to Venezuela,” the senators said. “Negotiations with a dictator will only beget more negotiations with a dictator, and the damage done in the meantime is disastrous.” Rubio and Cruz asked for a briefing “on what actions or modifications your administration has promised or considered to Maduro.”
The White House didn’t comment. The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to relax sanctions against Venezuela and the Maduro regime to allow Chevron to resume certain oil activities in the country, a move that could lead to the eventual reopening of U.S. and European markets for Venezuelan oil (see 2210280032 and 2210060014).