US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s top legislator

What the report says

The United States has removed Jorge Rodriguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, from its sanctions list, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The delisting was posted on OFAC’s website and ends restrictions that had been in place since the Trump administration. Rodriguez has led the legislature since 2021 and is described in the article as the brother of Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez.

Al Jazeera reports that the move comes amid broader US-Venezuela talks tied to energy cooperation and political negotiations. A source familiar with the matter said the sanctions change fits into Washington’s wider recognition of the interim Venezuelan government and a three-phase US plan for stabilization and political transition. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a briefing that the next round of talks on Venezuela was set to begin on Wednesday and urged opposition factions to take part.

The article places the decision in the context of earlier US actions this year, including the lifting of sanctions on Delcy Rodriguez and on Venezuela’s central bank and state airline. It also notes that Caracas has agreed to give the US access to several oil fields while international energy firms expand projects in the country. The sanctions shift underscores how Washington is linking pressure relief to energy access and political talks.