Venezuela's telecoms cleared for US connections as earthquake relief urges open communications

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 24A on June 18, allowing global telecommunications companies to conduct transactions and interconnect with Venezuelan state and private operators. Chamber of Telecom Services president Pedro Marín said the license “guarantees global connectivity for Venezuela” and ends previous over‑compliance constraints, although purchases of high‑tech equipment still require compliance with the Department of Commerce’s BIS regulations.

Following two powerful earthquakes on June 24 – magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 – the Venezuelan NGO VE Sin Filtro appealed to the communications regulator Conatel to lift digital blocks on the social platform X and media outlets, and to prevent mobile carriers from suspending calls, SMS or internet service. The group warned that “quick access is a matter of life and death” and emphasized that uninterrupted connectivity is vital for public safety and emergency response.

Together, the sanction relief and the emergency appeals highlight the critical role of telecommunications for both economic activity and disaster relief in Venezuela.