US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez

Key Points:

• The U.S. has lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, allowing her to engage more freely with U.S. companies and investors, marking increased U.S. recognition of her authority following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
• Maduro and his wife were captured by the U.S. military on January 3 in Caracas and are now facing drug trafficking charges in New York, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
• Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge were previously sanctioned for allegedly undermining Venezuelan democracy, but the current U.S. administration has chosen to work with her in efforts to stabilize Venezuela.
• The U.S. has also eased restrictions on Venezuela’s oil industry, permitting PDVSA to sell oil directly to U.S. companies, signaling a major policy shift after years of sanctions.
• Despite these changes, Maduro remains Venezuela’s legal president, with the ruling party’s high court declaring his absence temporary and appointing Rodríguez to serve as acting president for up to 90 days, a period ending this Friday.