Former Biden Adviser: Maduro Defeated Trump's 2019 Sanctions, Maximum Pressure Only Benefits China

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—In a recent interview, Juan González, senior director of the US National Security Council (NSC) during the Biden administration, noted that President Nicolás Maduro managed to overcome sanctions imposed by his counterpart Donald Trump in 2019, during Trump’s first term.

During his tenure, González led a fundamental shift in US policy toward Venezuela, prioritizing a strategic approach after the Trump administration’s failure to achieve a change of government. González, who played a key role in discussions with the Venezuelan government, emphasized that, contrary to popular belief, the Maduro administration was more solid in 2021 than previously.

“What we found was a regime that had already adapted to US sanctions and a regional diplomatic environment where US leadership was profoundly weakened,” he said to justify the so-called “licenses” issued by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) during the Biden administration.

The interview was conducted by the new Venezuelan outlet, Guacamaya, that publishes news in English and Spanish about Venezuela. The outlet was founded in 2025 and describes itself as an independent outlet. Its editor in chief is Elías Ferrer, a Spanish national based in Caracas.

#EXCLUSIVA 🦜 Entrevistamos a Juan González, asesor de Biden para América Latina, quien se encargó de negociar con el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro. Nos explica qué pasó con la política de EEUU con Venezuela en los últimos años.
Artículo completo en nuestra página web. pic.twitter.com/VIoVDZQcks
— Guacamaya (@theguacamayave) April 7, 2025

González also mentioned that Trump’s maximum pressure campaign did not produce the expected results during his first term. After the initial impact of sanctions, Venezuela adapted and established trade connections with countries such as Iran and China, among others.

“Iranian vessels transported Venezuelan oil, trans-shipped it in Malaysia, and ultimately sold it to China at a significant discount,” he explained, while warning that the policy of maximum pressure toward Venezuela, implemented by the Biden administration, only benefited China, the main buyer of Venezuelan oil.

The top Biden advisor said that this situation underscores the ineffectiveness of sanctions and their limited ability to influence the behavior of President Maduro’s government.

During the interview, González also addressed the reasons behind the 2022 talks between the US and Venezuela, emphasizing that they were allegedly motivated by the desire to free detained US citizens—not oil.

“It was about bringing US nationals home,” he said, while criticizing the incoherence of current US strategy toward Venezuela: “What I see are isolated tactical moves without any consideration for their consequences.”

Maximum pressure
For González, the maximum pressure approach failed to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power and eroded US influence in the region, creating space for China, Russia, and Iran to deepen their strategic presence.

US sanctions against Venezuela, particularly those imposed under the Trump administration between 2017 and 2019, aimed to economically isolate the Maduro administration by restricting access to financial markets and oil revenues.

Venezuela Condemns False Claims About Oil Production From Reuters

The sanctions blocked Venezuela’s access to US and international oil markets, as well as to multilateral financing, deepening its reliance on countries such as China, Russia, India, and Turkey, which filled the vacuum by offering alternative trade and investment deals. This shift strengthened emerging world players’ footholds in Latin America, undermining US geopolitical leverage.

González emphasized that a democratic and economically stable Venezuela is a fundamental US national security interest. However, he warned that disjointed policies harm the Venezuelan people and weaken the US position in a complex geopolitical context.

He finally remarked the need for a policy aligning diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian tools to outline a realistic roadmap for restoring democracy in Venezuela. “The path will not be short or linear, but strategic persistence is essential,” he concluded.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

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