Washington removed Jorge Rodríguez from the sanctions roster, clearing a hurdle that had limited U.S. engagement with a central power broker in Caracas. The change removes the rules that had typically prevented Americans from doing business with him and unfreezes any of his U.S.-based assets.
Rodríguez, 60, is acting President Delcy Rodríguez's sibling and still wields significant influence within the ruling party. He heads the government's team in U.S.-backed negotiations that aim to overhaul key institutions and set the stage for eventual national elections.
The delisting fits into the Trump administration's push to reestablish relations after the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that removed Maduro. In the period that followed, Delcy Rodríguez's government worked closely with Washington: it expanded U.S. investor access to Venezuela's oil industry, joined U.S.-backed talks with opposition groups, and turned over several former Maduro insiders wanted by American authorities.
On April 1, Washington lifted its sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez - just shy of three months into her tenure - a move broadly viewed as acknowledging her role and indicating readiness to deal with former Maduro allies. Both Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez were originally sanctioned in September 2018 during Donald Trump's first term for backing Maduro's government and eroding democratic norms, according to the Treasury Department. Broader U.S. penalties on Venezuela still apply.
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A new U.S.-supported round of talks bringing together the interim government and a faction of the opposition begins Wednesday in Caracas, with election planning taking center stage. Earlier sessions concentrated on judicial reforms, retrieving state assets held overseas, and easing limits on news websites.
The opposition's delegation chief, Dinorah Figuera, said they aim to map out a clear path to a vote. Conspicuously missing is opposition leader María Corina Machado, still barred despite topping presidential preference polls. In September's LatAm Pulse, an AtlasIntel poll for Bloomberg News, Machado drew 52% support versus 19% for acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Diplomatic breakthroughs can open doors, and Caracas has already nudged its oil industry toward U.S. participation while turning over former insiders to American authorities. Removing penalties on a key negotiator like Jorge Rodríguez strips away a formal barrier and could make energy and sovereign risk watchers perk up. Secretary of State Marco Rubio put Washington's goal plainly last week, saying the talks "need to end in free and democratic elections" and that the U.S. wants democracy back in Venezuela "as quickly as possible."
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