WASHINGTON.-The United States announced this Tuesday that it will reactivate sanctions on the Venezuelan oil and gas sector, after the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) maintained the political disqualification of opposition member María Corina Machado.
Washington “will not renew” starting in April a license granted in support of the Barbados agreement agreed in October between the opposition and the regime of President Nicolás Maduro, reported the spokesman for the Department of State, Matthew Miller, it’s a statement.
The statement published on the official portal of the State Department says:
“The actions of Nicolás Maduro and his representatives in Venezuela, including the arrest of members of the democratic opposition and the banning of candidates from competing in this year’s presidential elections, are inconsistent with the agreements signed in Barbados last October by representatives of Nicolás Maduro and the Unitary Party. Platform.
In support of the Barbados Agreement, the United States issued General License 44, which provides relief to Venezuela’s oil and gas sector. In the absence of progress between Maduro and his representatives and the opposition Unitary Platform, particularly regarding allowing all presidential candidates to compete in this year’s elections, the United States will not renew the license when it expires on April 18, 2024. Additionally, The United States is revoking General License 43, which authorized transactions related to Minerven, the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company. US persons will have fourteen days to cancel any transaction that was previously authorized by that license.
The United States remains firmly committed to supporting dialogue between the parties and the aspirations of the Venezuelan people for a democratic future. We will continue to work with the international community and all peaceful democratic actors across the political spectrum in Venezuela and take advantage of the mechanisms at our disposal to encourage a return to the principles of the Barbados agreement.
The Barbados electoral roadmap agreement remains the most viable mechanism to resolve Venezuela’s long-standing political, economic and humanitarian crisis and achieve competitive and inclusive elections in Venezuela, “But that will require Maduro and his representatives to respect the principles of the roadmap and guarantee that opposition political actors have the right to freely choose their candidates for the 2024 presidential elections.”.
This Monday it was learned that the Treasury Department had revoked part of the relief of the sanctions contra Venezuela which it had granted last year to the South American nation.
For this reason, andThe Treasury Department gave a deadline until February 13 for companies that carry out transactions with the Venezuelan state mining company to liquidate their operations. The agency had allowed transactions with the state mining company Minerven in October, after the regime of Nicolas Maduro reach an agreement with the opposition to work on leveling the playing field before the presidential elections.
Source: With information from AP/AFP