US To Ease Sanctions On Venezuela

AFP has reported that the US has eased some sanctions on Venezuela 'to encourage political talks.'

• Kayla Tausche of NBC: 'US will allow Chevron to negotiate future business in Venezuela - and will remove Malpica Flores from sanctioned individuals as part of a limited easing of sanctions, per senior administration officials.'
• Tausche continues: 'Guaidó's party requested rollback to pave way for talks with Maduro regime.'
• The reported easing of sanctions come immediately following the removal of some restrictive measures on Cuba.
• Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said yesterday that the Cuba decision was 'a limited step in the right direction.' But did not chance the 'fraudulent inclusion' on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
• The Summit of the Americas is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles next month and the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from the event prompted Mexico to threaten a boycott.
• On March 5 a Biden administration delegation was dispatched to Caracas to discuss the possibility of sanctions relief. At the time the trip was criticised as motivated by an ambition to authorise Venezuelan oil exports to the US in the face of rising energy prices.