The Trump administration lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
The move follows the extradition of former President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S. military operation earlier this year and transported to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty.
The United States recognized Rodríguez, Venezuela’s former vice president, as the country’s leader after Maduro’s ouster.
Rodríguez has been removed from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals list, which restricts individuals and entities from conducting business with U.S. persons.
She appeared to respond to the decision in a post Wednesday on X, calling it “a significant step” toward normalizing relations and urging the removal of additional sanctions.
The administration has also temporarily eased sanctions on Venezuelan oil and allowed limited sales of Russian and Iranian oil already at sea, citing efforts to stabilize global energy markets amid ongoing military operations involving Iran.
U.S. officials have expressed particular interest in Venezuela’s oil reserves. Rodríguez has supported increased private investment in the sector, aligning with discussions between the administration and energy executives earlier this year on rebuilding the country’s oil infrastructure and expanding production.
The sanctions relief marks another step in a broader shift toward engagement with Venezuela’s interim government following Maduro’s removal.
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Venezuelan oil … yes. Ship that. But not oil that that country is shipping which came from those other countries!
We want to help you become a free and democratic country, but not a conduit for oil from non-free countries!