The United States will reimpose sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector as President Nicolas Maduro's government continued its
"repression"
of opponents, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
After leaving the suspense hanging, the American authorities announced that they were not going to renew the license allowing the purchase of Venezuelan oil and gas, which expired on Thursday. Caracas has not honored certain commitments to hold a fair presidential election in July, senior American officials have justified.
“Particularly worried”
The United States thus returns to the reduction of its sanctions announced in the wake of an electoral agreement concluded in Barbados in October 2023 between the representatives of President Maduro and those of the opposition, for the organization of the vote on 28 July 2024.
“While Venezuelan authorities have met some key commitments, they have fallen short in several areas
,” a senior Biden administration official said on condition of anonymity.
Washington is
“particularly concerned”
about the fact that opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado has been declared ineligible and cannot run for president. Companies will have until May 31 to comply with these sanctions, these officials said.
“We are not going to stop, with or without a license
,” responded the Venezuelan Minister of Oil.
The United States announced at the end of January that it would reactivate these sanctions against Venezuela, which reacted at the time by speaking of
“gross and unjustified blackmail”
.