The United States has lifted this Wednesday the sanctions against Delcy Rodríguez, interim president of Venezuela, by removing her name from the main sanctions list of the Treasury Department, as appears in the official records of the body as reported by Reuters agency.
The decision comes just three months after a U.S. military operation culminated in the capture in Caracas of former president Nicolás Maduro, who was transferred to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
After her arrest on January 3, 2026, Rodríguez, who was vice president, was designated interim president by the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela and recognized by Washington as the legitimate authority of the Caribbean country.
A change of focus in American policy
The removal of Rodríguez from the list of Specially Designated Nationals (Specially Designated Nationals) of the Treasury, which freezes assets and prohibits transactions with designated individuals or entities, represents a notable shift in United States policy towards Caracas.
This move coincides with other recent diplomatic steps, such as the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Caracas after seven years, and with the signing of bilateral agreements to reactivate key sectors of the Venezuelan economy, including oil and mineral resources.
The lifting of sanctions facilitates that U.S. and foreign companies invest and operate in Venezuela, the country with some of the largest oil reserves in the world. The White House has already used general licenses to allow the export of essential diluents for Venezuelan oil production, and the elimination of personal sanctions on Rodríguez aims to consolidate a more attractive framework for foreign investment.