Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro invited French companies to come to his country on the evening of June 27 after France pleaded for a
“diversification of supplies”
towards Iran and Venezuela in order to curb the surge in prices caused by the war in Ukraine.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: how Russia continues to ship its oil around the world
“President Macron! Venezuela is ready to welcome all the French companies that would like to come and produce oil and gas”
, launched the Venezuelan president on public television.
On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Elmau, Germany, the French presidency spoke
of "resources elsewhere that must be explored"
, eyeing the productions of Iran and Venezuela, estimating that
"Venezuelan oil must be able to be returned on the market”
.
These two oil-producing countries are subject to American sanctions.
The United States and Venezuela severed diplomatic ties in 2019 after Nicolás Maduro was re-elected in 2018 to a second term in a ballot boycotted by the opposition.
In a bid to oust Maduro from power, Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, imposing a battery of sanctions on Caracas.
These measures include an embargo since April 2019 which prevents Venezuela from trading its crude oil - which then represented 96% of the country's income - on the American market.
Read alsoWhy, despite the war between Russia and Ukraine, the gas trade continues
Since then, Maduro has received significant support from Russia to be able to continue exporting oil despite the punitive measures.
In the American wake, France had also recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president, triggering the ire of Nicolás Maduro.
But the weight of the opposition leader has dropped considerably in recent months.
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