Biden lifts a number of sanctions against Venezuela's socialist regime

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will ease some economic sanctions against Venezuela in a move to encourage the resumption of negotiations between Washington and Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship in Caracas.

According to two senior U.S. government sources, the new guidelines will allow Chevron Corp. to enter negotiations with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA – although the oil giant will still be prohibited from drilling for oil in Venezuelan territory, the AP reported.

The sources – who spoke under the condition of anonymity – also noted that Carlos Erik Malpica-Flores, a former high-ranking PDVSA official and nephew of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, will be removed from the U.S.’ list of sanctioned individuals.

"Biden continues his effort to appease anti-American communist dictators," Florida Senator Marco Rubio wrote on Twitter. "Yesterday it was Cuba, now today Biden will announce removing sanctions on the Maduro regime in Venezuela,” he added.

Biden continues his effort to appease anti-American communist dictators

Yesterday it was #Cuba, now today Biden will announce removing sanctions on #MaduroRegime in #Venezuela

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 17, 2022

These goodwill gestures towards Nicolás Maduro's regime come after senior U.S. officials traveled to Venezuela in March in an attempt to isolate Russia from its South American allies.

At the time, Rubio warned that the Biden Administration had made a "ridiculous, dangerous and shameful offer" to the regime.

"The offer is this: The United States is willing to lift sanctions against Venezuela and against Maduro, if he is willing to sell us oil and if he announces a future date for negotiations with the opposition," the senator explained in a statement shared on his Twitter account.

The senator had also clarified that Biden's offer has nothing to do with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, since from the beginning, "this Administration sought to settle with Maduro and seeks to settle with Cuba."

"That's why Maduro wanted Biden to enter the White House, knowing that, eventually, he was going to come to some kind of arrangement, and it is a betrayal of those who have opposed Maduro, who have marched in the streets, who have sacrificed so much, who have suffered so much and who have lost so much," Rubio added after the surprise visit to Venezuela by Biden's officials.