Biden Administration to Review Sanctions Policy Against Venezuela

The administration of US President Joe Biden is reviewing its policy of illegal unilateral measures, also called “sanctions,” against Venezuela, reported Bloomberg.

“The relationship between the United States and Venezuela is under quiet review, ” wrote the US outlet. Bloomberg also claimed that US figures with access to the Biden administration are talking to the “inner circle” of the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Among them are House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and World Food Program Director David Beasley. The latter is the executive director of the United Nations (UN) World Food Program. Beasley visited Venezuela on April 18.

However, a Biden administration official said the United States is conducting a review of its policy toward Venezuela, examining the sanctions to make sure they are in line with its goals, and hoping to see concrete steps from Maduro. Regardless, the US has not yet recognized the Bolivarian government as legitimate. Most of the time, at least in recent years, “concrete steps from Maduro” is a White House euphemism for President Maduro’s stepping down.

The U.S.-Venezuela relationship is under quiet review https://t.co/zQ0HbCGDIg
— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) May 11, 2021

“These are important steps”
“It’s crystal clear they’re trying to get sanctions relief and that the Biden administration is uncomfortable with the severity of the sanctions policy,” said Cynthia Arnson, director of the Latin American Program at the Wilson Center in Washington. “But there’s deep distrust in the concept of negotiations and people are not willing to get burned again in the absence of real evidence of concessions on the ground politically.”

Normally, for liberal and right-wing actors in Washington, these “concessions” also entail the resignation of President Maduro—certainly out of the equation in Venezuela’s current political situation.

For his part, the Democratic congressman Gregory Meeks said in a statement last week that “the Biden administration should send clear signals to Caracas that acknowledge these positive gestures and incentivize further progress toward democracy.”

In the same context, Bloomberg reported that gringo authorities have been in “regular contact” with the Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and the President of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, regarding the convicted Venezuelan CITGO executives, as well as two former US Green Berets currently detained in Caracas—Airan Berry and Luke Denman—involved in the mercenary attack Operation Gideon, launched by the US and Colombia to oust or kill President Maduro in 2020.

The political reality inside Venezuela is that President Maduro’s strength seems to be more solid than ever. Faced with regional elections expected for December 2021, the chances for Chavismo to retain a majority in the regions, at the level of governors and mayors, appears promising, unless there is a regrouping of anti-Chavista forces and they can convince their followers to vote for them, despite all of their recurrent contradictions and inconsistencies.

Featured image: President Maduro and President Biden. File photo.

(RedRadioVE) by Daniela Jimenez, with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SL