Caracas, Venezuela — Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has been removed from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list.
Her name has been on the list since 2018, when authorities singled out her as vice president as one of those who had contributed to undermining democracy in the South American country.
The decision came nearly three months after US forces arrested Nicolas Maduro in an operation conducted in Caracas.
Her dismissal represents another sign of rapprochement between Rodriguez and the Trump administration as they attempt to normalize relations between the two countries. Just this week, the United States announced it had reopened its embassy in Caracas after nearly seven years.
In a post on X, Rodriguez applauded the actions taken by President Trump and said he hopes sanctions against North Korea will be lifted in the future. “This will enable an agenda of rapid economic development, investment and effective bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our people. Let us continue to work for a prosperous Venezuela for all!” she said
How have sanctions affected Delsey Rodriguez?
Sanctions against leader Chavez acted as a personal blockade that paralyzed her ability to interact with the Western financial system.
Because she was included on the Specially Designated Drug Traffickers list, also known as the Clinton List, she is prohibited from engaging in any form of commercial or financial dealings with U.S. citizens or businesses.
This means that not only will any accounts or assets located in US jurisdictions be frozen, but you will also be unable to use basic services such as international credit cards or US-based software platforms.
Moreover, the sanctions also affected her in the diplomatic and mobility spheres, banning her from entering U.S. territories and restricting her travel through other countries that have law enforcement cooperation agreements with Washington.
Sanctions are a hot topic among Venezuelans.
The government claims the restrictions it has imposed are the main cause of the country’s crisis. However, many citizens and NGOs believe that even before sanctions were imposed, the country was already facing serious problems due to government mismanagement.
Featured Image: Delsey Rodriguez.
Image Source: Russian Government via Wikimedia Commons
