The conditions with which the US would lift sanctions on Venezuela

US President Joe Biden will speak on Thursday with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, about the lifting of sanctions on Venezuela, something that Washington would be willing to do, but only if it results in free and fair elections.

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“I imagine it will be a topic of conversation between the two presidents“, he stated, this Tuesday, April 18, Juan González, Biden’s top adviser for Latin America, during a forum organized by the agency EFE, baptized as EFE Dialogues.

Specifically, González reiterated that the United States is willing to consider lifting economic sanctions on Venezuela, but only if they are the result of a negotiation with other political forces so that the result is the celebration of free and fair elections.

(See: Chaos in La Guajira has paralyzed 250 trucks to Venezuela).

Petro, visiting the US, expressed, this Monday, April 17, his interest in discussing with Biden the lifting of sanctions on Venezuela during the meeting that both will hold on Thursday at the White House.

Colombia has summoned for the next April 25 an international meeting on Venezuela in which representatives of the United States and several European and Latin American countries are expected to participate.

(See: Trade between Colombia and Venezuela totals US$70.5 million in 6 months).

In this regard, González stressed the importance of having international cooperation to address the crisis in Venezuela, especially after the policies implemented by the Donald Trump government (2017-2021).

“It has taken us three years to dismantle what were the failed policies of the Trump administration of imposing pressure through sanctions in the absence of international conversation.“said González, who described what is happening in Venezuela as”a 21st century civil conflict“.

Joe Biden and Gustavo Petro, presidents of the United States and Colombia.

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González himself traveled to Caracas last year to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a visit that the adviser to the White House characterized this Tuesday as “perhaps not the smartest political move” for him personally, but defended him for the fruits he brought.

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In fact, after that meeting in the Venezuelan capital, two relatives of Maduro convicted of drug trafficking in New York They were released in exchange for the release of seven Americans imprisoned in Venezuela, including five directors of the Citgo oil company.

During the debate organized by EFE, the analyst Cynthia Arnson, who directed the Latin America program of the Wilson Center, considered that it would be good if the US Government relaxed its sanctions in some way so that it could get humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people.

US sanctions establish exceptions for cases of humanitarian aid, but given the economic restrictions many companies prefer not to take risks and they do not invest in Venezuela.

EFE