U.S. rules out Venezuelan oil imports 'for now'

The United States on Monday said that "for now" it does not plan to import Venezuelan oil, claiming that it agreed with Colombia to increase its global crude oil supply.

“It's not something we're actively talking about right now," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at her daily press briefing after being asked if the United States was considering relaxing its oil sanctions against Venezuela to import more crude.

Several legislators from both parties in the United States criticized the idea of such an agreement after learning that senior officials of Joe Biden's administration had traveled to Venezuela with the alleged aim of isolating Russia from its allies.

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

"The alleged offer also raised concerns among Washington’s allies, such as Colombian President Ivan Duque.

After meeting last Thursday with Biden, Duque revealed that he had offered the U.S. president to supply more Colombian oil to stabilize energy prices as an alternative to Venezuelan crude.

Psaki also confirmed the deal during the press conference, saying it would help "global energy security" in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, she claimed she did not know the details about the deal.

"We continue to talk to a number of producers about the importance of maintaining global supply. This is not just about supply in the U.S., but about securing supply to the global market, and we appreciate our relationship with Colombia," said Psaki.

The United States claimed that the main issue discussed with Nicolás Maduro concerned the ten Americans imprisoned in Venezuela.