US General Kevin Jarrard arriving at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira state, on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Photo: X/usembassyve.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Following catastrophic earthquakes in the north-central area of Venezuela on Wednesday, instead of completely lifting its illegal sanctions, the US decided on Thursday only to ease them. The easing of sanctions comes from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) General License 60, which temporarily relaxes restrictions on financial and commercial transactions related exclusively to relief and humanitarian assistance.
The measure temporarily suspends certain prohibitions related to illegal US sanctions on Venezuela to facilitate the flow of resources and supplies to the affected areas. According to the official document, this humanitarian relief license will remain in effect until 12:01 a.m. on October 23, 2026.
The United States extends its deepest condolences to the people of Venezuela following yesterday’s devastating earthquakes and the tragic loss of life and destruction they have caused. Today, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Venezuela…
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) June 25, 2026
The imperial license allows for increased flexibility in banking, with the following specifications:
• Support for third countries: The processing and transfer of funds on behalf of persons from third countries to or from Venezuela is expressly permitted, provided that the transactions are directly linked to humanitarian support.
• Guarantees for US banks: Financial institutions and money transmitters registered in the US may process transfers based on the information supplied by the originator, exempting them from liability unless the institution has reasonable grounds to believe that the transaction does not meet the authorized relief purposes.
“All transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited are hereby authorized,” reads the imperial document.
Despite the humanitarian easing, the US government clarified that the core structure of the sanctions remains intact. General License 60 explicitly excludes:
• The unblocking of assets or funds that are already blocked or frozen in US territory under the sanctions regulations.
• Any other economic activity or transaction prohibited by other executive orders or Treasury regulations that do not correspond exclusively to seismic disaster mitigation.
Many analysts questioned Washington’s decision, labeling it a public relations posturing strategy that does not erase the devastating effects of over a decade of illegal US sanctions. These sanctions have already indirectly killed hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and are now severely limiting the Venezuelan government’s response capacity and access to crucial equipment and technology.
SOUTHCOM “rescue teams” arrive in Venezuela
Many countries around the world have sent civil search and rescue teams to assist in extracting Venezuelans still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Meanwhile, the White House opted to send military personnel instead, less than six months after its bloody bombing of almost the same areas affected by the earthquakes.
On Thursday, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the deployment of its military forces. An official Pentagon statement indicated that the mobilization follows a formal request for assistance from the Venezuelan government.
Marine Corps Major General Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas to oversee the operation, which many Chavistas fear could serve as a pretext for establishing a permanent US military presence in Venezuela.
“These forces will provide specialized mobility and support services to US government personnel, search-and-rescue teams, and interagency partners,” US SOUTHCOM explained. It also announced the deployment of military aircraft similar to those used during the January US invasion that traumatized tens of thousands of Venezuelans.
“US HELP? The US has no reason to help Venezuela after it bombed it, killed Venezuelans and Cubans, and kidnapped its president and his partner. If the US wants to help, it should lift the sanctions and free Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores,” wrote Chavista analyst Roberto Malaver on social media.
Meanwhile, other analysts warned about mainstream news corporations whitewashing Donald Trump’s “Monroe Doctrine,” stating that if a country submissively accepts US dictates and cedes sovereignty, it will receive imperial crumbs in the form of “international solidarity.”
“In [the Spanish news outlet], El País, they take advantage of the earthquake in Venezuela to give a facelift to Trump and to the ‘Monroe’ doctrine… If you hand over sovereignty and obey, you might get a bit of humanitarian aid…” wrote progressive Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
