United States maintains sanctions on Venezuelan officials while easing PDVSA trade

The United States has clarified its stance on Venezuela, maintaining legal actions against high-ranking officials despite recent diplomatic shifts. The U.S. Department of State confirmed that the $25 million reward for the capture of Diosdado Cabello remains active and that the assessment of the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has not changed. Officials emphasized that recent technical certifications regarding Venezuela’s anti-drug cooperation do not imply amnesty or the dismissal of existing criminal investigations, indictments, or asset freezes.

Simultaneously, a shift in economic policy has emerged through the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which issued General License No. 52C. This license authorizes certain transactions between U.S. companies and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), including its subsidiaries where the state oil company holds at least a 50% interest. The authorization aims to improve PDVSA’s operational efficiency by facilitating the import of essential diluents, technology, and spare parts. However, the license explicitly prohibits payment schemes involving crypto-assets, debt-for-oil swaps, or gold payments.