MIAMI, United States. — The United States government lifted some restrictions against the Chavista regime. The measure —according to the White House— seeks to favor talks between Maduro and the opposition of the oil country, which have been backed by Washington.
This Tuesday, the Treasury Department issued a “restricted” license to Chevron to negotiate some licenses directly in Venezuela. Officials of the current administration revealed to Washington Post that the move would allow talks to begin with a view to restarting crude oil production in that nation, suspended after the sanctions implemented by former President Donald Trump.
Although the permit granted to Chevron would not allow new drilling or exports of Venezuelan crude, officials assured that it could be the first in a series of steps towards easing oil sanctions, something that would depend on the “cooperation” of the Nicolás Maduro regime. .
The sources assure that if Chavismo negotiates with the opposition to hold free and fair elections in 2024, the US could allow Chevron to start sending equipment to Venezuela.
“If the talks are successful, Chevron could be allowed to extract and sell Venezuelan oil,” officials told the newspaper.
The measures would have had the support of the interim government of Juan Guaidó, who has the backing of Washington.
A nephew of Cilia Flores off the “black list”
Carlos Erik Malpica-Flores, former director of the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and nephew of the wife of Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Floreswas removed from the Treasury Department’s blacklist, on which it had been included in 2017 for corruption.
Malpica-Flores has come to serve as presidential commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, and deputy treasurer of the National Treasury Office of Venezuela.
On March 30, 2018, he was sanctioned by the government of Panama for being considered high risk for money laundering, financing of terrorism and financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
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