The US confirms secret meeting with Venezuela to talk about sanctions

US officials met secretly on Tuesday with members of Nicolás Maduro's Venezuelan government in Mexico City to discuss the circumstances under which elections will be held in July.

The meeting, initially reported by the Bloomberg agency, occurred days before April 18, the date on which Washington could reactivate sanctions against the country's oil industry, which have been on pause for six months. The White House National Security Council confirmed the meeting through a spokesperson:

“The purpose was to express our concerns about the electoral process in Venezuela. “I don’t have any more details.”

As of press time, Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Maduro has been testing the limits of a deal with the opposition, backed by the United States last year, to hold free elections in exchange for a suspension of some sanctions.

However, Maduro's rivals were banned from participating in next July's presidential race.

María Corina Machado, Leader of the Venezuelan opposition, told VOA:

“It is a decision between two parties. Of an agreement signed between two parties. The United States Government and the Maduro regime. And the consequences of whether or not they comply with their agreement remains to be seen, but that depends on those parties.”

According to experts such as Francisco Monaldi of Rice University, if sanctions are reactivated, Venezuela could lose $2 billion in oil revenue by the end of 2024, compared to approximately $1 billion it earned in these six months in oil sales.

For Rafael Quiróz, the return of sanctions would be very damaging.

“Venezuela has never been prepared nor is it currently prepared to submit to sanctions like those they have been imposing on the United States.”

For months, the United States has urged Venezuela's neighbors to pressure Maduro to keep his promises.

Still, much about the election remains up in the air, including the participation of credible election observers, who will visit Venezuela starting this week.

This Tuesday, the same day as the meeting in Mexico, Colombian President Gustavo Petro flew to Caracas with the support of the United States and met with Maduro. The visit came after Colombia took the unusual step of criticizing Maduro for blocking the participation of several opposition candidates in the July 28 elections.