US may ‘calibrate’ sanctions policy on Venezuela after election, officials say

The Biden administration will “calibrate” its sanctions policy toward Venezuela depending on how elections play out in the South American nation on Sunday, U.S. officials said, noting that Washington could ease punitive measures if President Nicolas Maduro holds a fair election.

But the United States also warned Maduro that if he proclaimed victory without providing concrete evidence, it would “call into question” whether the international community should accept the result.

Maduro is seeking a third term as leader of Venezuela, which is under heavy U.S. sanctions. His rival, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, has attracted significant support.

Maduro, a socialist whose 2018 re-election in the South American nation was rejected by the United States and most Western governments as a sham, has said Venezuela has the most transparent electoral system in the world.

The opposition and some independent observers have questioned whether Sunday’s vote will be fair, saying decisions by Maduro-appointed electoral authorities and the arrests of some opposition campaign staff are aimed at creating obstacles.

Senior U.S. officials said Friday they were closely monitoring the run-up to the election. Washington relaxed, but then reinstated, sanctions on Venezuela’s vital oil industry in recent months after saying Maduro failed to live up to an election deal guaranteeing an inclusive democratic vote.

The officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said they would not prejudge the outcome but expressed concern about a possible crackdown.

They also warned Venezuela’s military, which has long supported Maduro, not to interfere and “put its thumb on the scale.” “The United States is prepared to calibrate our sanctions policy based on developments that may develop in Venezuela,” one U.S. official said.

“As we look ahead to the post-election period, we will continue to assess and update our sanctions policy as needed based on our foreign policy objectives.”

They also declined to say whether Washington had drawn up a plan of action if the election is deemed to have been manipulated by Maduro, except to say the administration was aware of “multiple scenarios.”

U.S. sources have said a fraudulent result could lead to additional sanctions. Asked whether Washington could drop criminal charges against Maduro to help negotiate a post-election exit, one official said that if he loses, the U.S. could “consider measures that would facilitate a peaceful transition of power.”

International observers

One official called it “deeply worrying” that Maduro’s government had restricted international observers and urged him to reconsider, saying their presence would provide guarantees of an election “representative of the will of Venezuelan voters.”

Gonzalez, a veteran former diplomat, inherited the opposition mantle from Maria Corina Machado, who enjoys great popularity and won the opposition primaries but has been banned from holding public office.

Maduro has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations, capped by sanctions that have crippled an already struggling oil industry.

Gonzalez, 74, is known for his calm demeanor and has promised that political change could bring many migrants home. Analysts have suggested that a re-election of Maduro or post-election turmoil could prompt more Venezuelans to leave the country and head for the U.S.-Mexico border.

With immigration already a hot-button issue in the U.S. presidential campaign, that could create new problems for Vice President Kamala Harris, seen as the likely Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid on Sunday.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and the newsletter. Activate notifications and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.