The United State on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, who assumed power after Washington removed her predecessor through a military operation in January.
Rodriguez’s name has been taken off the “Specially Designated Nationals List,” according to an update from the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Reacting to the development, Rodriguez described the move on X as part of the “normalization and strengthening” of bilateral relations.
“We trust that this progress will allow for the lifting of the sanctions currently in force against our country, and make it possible to build and guarantee an effective binational cooperation agenda for the benefit of our peoples,” she added.
Relations between Washington and Caracas have improved since Maduro’s removal, with Rodriguez aligning with demands from US President to open Venezuela’s energy sector to American firms.
Rodriguez previously served as Maduro’s deputy and had been sanctioned by the US for her role in his administration, alongside figures such as former defence minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and interior minister Diosdado Cabello.
While she dismissed Lopez in mid-March, Rodriguez has continued to balance pressure from Washington and support from allies within Venezuela’s political structure.
Cabello, who remains in office, is considered one of her key supporters.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Caracas resumed operations on Monday after being shut for seven years, according to the State Department.
The reopening followed the US military operation on January 3, during which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested in Caracas and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges, which they deny.
Authorities in Venezuela reported that about 100 people lost their lives during the operation.