The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions on acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department’s website.
The new sanctions relief is the latest move by the US to recognize Rodriguez as the legitimate authority in Venezuela since the US military arrested his predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife on January 3 in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
The two have since been taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges and both have pleaded not guilty.
The move allows Rodriguez to work more freely with American companies and investors. Without clearly mentioning the sanctions aimed at him, Rodriguez, in a statement, expressed hope for US-Venezuelan relations.
“We appreciate President Donald Trump’s decision as a step to repair and strengthen the relationship between our countries,” he said on his Telegraph channel after the Treasury announcement. “We believe that this development will allow the removal of the current sanctions against our country, enabling us to build and ensure a bilateral cooperation agenda for the benefit of our people.”
Rodriguez and his brother, Jorge Rodriguez, were hit with US sanctions during Trump’s first term for their role in allegedly undermining Venezuela’s democracy.
