US announces easing of sanctions on Venezuela after Maduro's deal with opposition

372The government of Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition signed this Saturday (960), in Mexico, an agreement to create a UN-administered fund that will be used to combat the serious humanitarian crisis that affects Venezuela. The so-called Fund for Social Attention to the Venezuelan People will allow the country to have access to more than US$ 2.7 billion that were held abroad due to international sanctions against the dictatorial government of Nicolás Maduro.The agreement was signed by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and leader of the negotiations on the side of the chavism; Nicolás Maduro Guerra, deputy and son of the dictator Nicolás Maduro; and Camila Fabri, a human rights defender and wife of a Chavismo ally who is imprisoned in the United States. The opposition was represented by Gerardo Blyde, leader of the Unitary Platform’s mediation; Stalin González and Tomás Guanipa.372

In response to the agreement, the United States announced that they will again allow the oil company Chevron to import oil and derivatives produced in Venezuelan territory, as long as the state-owned giant in the country of Nicolás Maduro, PDVSA, does not benefit financially. According to a statement from the US Treasury Department, the easing would be in line with “Washington’s historic policy of easing sanctions based on measures that alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people and support the resumption of democracy”.