US lifts sanctions against Maduro’s nephew – 06/17/2022 – World

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Friday that it has lifted sanctions against the son-in-law of the wife of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The announcement comes just weeks after Washington said it had eased sanctions and taken steps to boost dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

Carlos Eric Malpica Flores was added to the U.S. Sanctions List in 2017 on charges of corruption. According to the Venezuelan press, he is 49 years old and holds three of the most important positions in Venezuela’s public service: national treasurer, finance director of the state-owned oil company PDVSA, and director of Venezuela’s Development Bank. He also served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament and the Presidential Secretariat.

In May, the administration of US President Joe Biden said that Washington’s opposition to Venezuela, which it sees as an interim government, had called for a series of measures that would pave the way for dialogue with Maduro. The White House has lifted the embargo on Flores and approved Chevron, the only U.S. oil company still in possession of assets in Venezuela, to negotiate with the PDVSA.

Last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he hoped talks between the Juan Quito-led government and the opposition in Mexico would resume soon. Last year, the opposition and the Maduro regime began a dialogue effort in the Mexican capital, but suspended talks in October in retaliation for the extradition of the dictator from Cabo Verde to the United States by a businessman, Alex Chop.

This Friday (17), Gerardo Blyde, a political group member of the Gerardo Blyde, Plataforma Unitarian, Guaidó, wrote on social media, “This alliance has worked very closely with the United States on specific activities aimed at reactivating the negotiation process (…) in finding solutions. To a severe crisis affecting “.

After the 2018 election, the United States recognizes Quito as Venezuela’s interim president, which it considers fraudulent, although in practice power in the country is being used by the Savista dictator.

That year, after the election, former Republican President Donald Trump launched a campaign to oust Maduro. But Maduro survived with the support of the armed forces and Russia, China and Cuba. As a result, some Democrat left-wing lawmakers are calling on the United States to resume talks with Venezuela, but there is still reluctance among other conservative Democrats and Republicans.