US relaxes Venezuela sanctions for earthquake relief

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 60, temporarily suspending sanctions that had prohibited most transactions with Venezuela. The license authorizes all financial and commercial transactions directly linked to humanitarian assistance following the recent magnitude‑7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes that killed at least 188 people and injured more than 1,500.

The authorization, effective until 23 October 2026, permits the processing and transfer of funds on behalf of third‑country persons to or from Venezuela for relief purposes, while explicitly excluding the unlocking of any assets already frozen under existing sanctions and any activities not tied to disaster mitigation. The United States also announced a separate $150 million aid package for the affected regions.