The United States announced this Wednesday the reimposition of sanctions against Venezuela's oil and gas industry that had been suspended since October last year to facilitate the agreement reached in Barbados between the opposition and the Nicolás Maduro regime.
According to the US, That decision was reached after verifying Maduro's failure to comply with the agreements, in particular the decision to prevent the registration of the candidacy of María Corina Machado and others for the next presidential elections.
As recalled, last October, and after the signing of the agreements, Washington issued a License (GL 44) to suspend sanctions for 6 months against the state-owned PDVSA, which allowed it to return to the international hydrocarbon market after several years of punishment decreed when President Donald Trump was in the US presidency.
The license, which expired this Thursday, April 18, was not renewed and therefore the bulk of the sanctions will come into force again.
Instead, The Treasury Department issued a new license (LG 44A) that gives a 45-day grace periods -until May 31- for companies and banks to complete pending businesses with Venezuela in both sectors.
Maintaining relief from this sanction depended on Maduro's commitment to respect the Barbado Agreement.
They did clarify, however, that other previous licenses, such as the one that allows the American oil company Chevron to do hydrocarbon exploitation business in the country, will remain in force.
“Since GL 44 was issued, we have been consistent in our public and private messaging that maintaining this sanction relief in Venezuela's oil and gas sector was dependent on Maduro's commitment to respect the Barbados Agreement. …Over the past few months and weeks, we have completed a very careful review and have determined that, Although Venezuelan authorities have met some key commitments, they have also fallen short in several areas…and they did not comply with one of the most critical commitments, which was to respect the right of all candidates to run,” said a senior US official during a teleconference called to explain the decision and which this newspaper attended.
According to the official, the disqualification of Machado and then of Corina Yoris, his designated successor, generated special concern and influenced the final determination.
Additionally, US cited continued pattern of harassment and repression against opposition and civil society figures which also constitute a breach of the initial agreement.
They did highlight, however, some positive – but insufficient – steps taken by the regime, such as starting to update the electoral registry, a process to allow international electoral observation and the establishment of an electoral schedule.
Another of the officials who participated in the call was even more emphatic about the flagrant violations of the agreement committed by Maduro but not before ensuring that the end of the GL 44 license should not be seen as a “final decision” by the United States. about his hope that the elections in Venezuela can be held in a free and transparent manner.
“Our action on GL 44 should not be seen as a final decision that we no longer believe Venezuela can hold competitive and inclusive elections. We will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders, including Maduro's representatives, the democratic opposition, civil society and the international community, to support the efforts of the Venezuelan people to ensure a better future for Venezuela. The Barbados Agreement continues to represent the best path available for a more democratic, secure and prosperous Venezuela, if fully implemented,” said this official.
The Barbados Agreement continues to represent the best path available to a more democratic, secure and prosperous Venezuela, if fully implemented
At that same point, the officials classified as “positive” the fact that Colombia and the European Union have been invited as observers of the electoral process.
On the conference call, officials were asked several times about the impact the return of sanctions on Venezuela could have on the cost of gasoline and the flow of migrants to the US.
Two issues of high impact in this country, especially in the current context of the electoral campaign where Republicans constantly attack Democrats over the border crisis with the arrival of a record number of people and the high fuel prices that contribute to the inflation.
Although the officials did not refer to a possible increase in the price of crude oil once the Venezuelan oil tap is closed, They did reiterate that the problem of Venezuelan migration was one that affected many countries in the region. and remained a “priority” for the Biden administration.
The decision to reimpose sanctions, in any case, is seen as the end of an experiment devised by the president's advisors. American whose objective was to use sanctions – or their lifting – to obtain concessions from Maduro that would lead to the return of democracy in the neighboring country through a transparent electoral process.
This after four years of the maximum pressure policy that Donald Trump's administration tried and that neither led to the fall of the regime or free elections.
Likewise, this was intended to find a solution to two problems that had a domestic impact on the United States: the high oil prices as a result of the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine and the growing migration of Venezuelans to the southern border.
But from the beginning, experts on the subject and critical voices in Congress had warned that The plan was destined to fail because Maduro would never allow a transparent electoral process if this led to his departure from power.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI – EL TIEMPO CORRESPONDENT – WASHINGTON
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