The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez, signaling a major policy shift and deepening engagement with Venezuela’s interim government following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
The move opens the door for Caracas to regain control of key overseas assets like Citgo and expand oil and investment deals with Washington, as both sides push toward normalized relations.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Rodríguez was removed from the sanctions list less than three months after U.S. forces seized Maduro in a raid on Caracas, marking a significant shift in Washington’s approach to the oil-rich nation.
Donald Trump’s administration has since closely engaged with Rodríguez’s interim government, dispatching senior officials to Caracas alongside potential investors, striking agreements to sell Venezuelan oil, and backing reforms in the oil and mining sectors aimed at attracting foreign capital.
Washington formally recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s leader in March, allowing her administration to reopen embassies and consulates in the United States and regain control of Venezuelan-owned companies abroad.
The sanctions relief also enables her government to move toward reclaiming control of state oil firm PDVSA’s U.S. subsidiaries, including Citgo Petroleum, long considered the crown jewel of Venezuela’s foreign assets.
Rodríguez welcomed the decision, saying it was “a step in the direction of normalizing and strengthening relations between our countries.” She added, “We trust that this progress will allow for the lifting of the sanctions currently in place on our country, enabling the building and guaranteeing of an effective bilateral cooperation agenda for the benefit of our peoples.”
Despite the thaw, legal and political uncertainties remain, with several former Maduro allies still under U.S. sanctions and facing criminal charges, even as Washington continues to quietly build leverage in its evolving relationship with Caracas.
