The United States lifted sanctions on Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez, removing her from the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals List where she had been placed in 2018 during Donald Trump's first term. Rodríguez assumed Venezuela's presidency after US forces raided Caracas on January 3 and seized former president Nicolás Maduro, with Washington formally recognizing her leadership in March. The sanctions removal, which enables Rodríguez to work freely with US companies and investors, follows broader US policy shifts including reopening the Caracas embassy after seven years and authorizing state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. to sell oil directly to US companies. Rodríguez has been complying with Trump's demands to open Venezuela's energy industry to American firms and called the sanctions lifting a significant step toward normalizing US-Venezuela relations.
Lifting of US sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez's name was removed from the US Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals List
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 during Donald Trump's first stint in office
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez was Nicolas Maduro's vice president
- ▪The lifting of sanctions enables Delcy Rodríguez to work with US companies and investors more freely
- ▪The United States lifted sanctions against Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez on a date announced Wednesday by the US Treasury Department
Normalization of US-Venezuela relations under new leadership
- ▪US forces conducted a raid on Caracas and seized Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez assumed the office of Venezuela's interim president after Washington deposed Nicolas Maduro
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez called the lifting of sanctions a significant step in the right direction to normalize and strengthen relations between the US and Venezuela
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez was formally recognized by the United States as Venezuela's leader in March
- ▪The US State Department announced the formal reopening of its embassy in Caracas on Monday after being shut for seven years
Venezuela's energy sector reopening to US companies
- ▪The US Treasury Department issued an authorization in March allowing state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. to directly sell Venezuelan oil to US companies and on international markets
- ▪Delcy Rodríguez has been complying with Donald Trump's demands for Venezuela to open up its energy industry to US companies
- ▪Washington removed sanctions on major Venezuelan industries
Perspective of United States government
- ▪The US State Department reopened its embassy in Caracas in 2025 after a seven-year closure as part of renewed engagement with Venezuela
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