Venezuela May Allow Politicians’ Appeals to Move Forward in Court
The Venezuelan government is considering allowing appeals by opposition politicians seeking to remove bans preventing them from holding public office to move forward in court, in an effort to partially meet U.S. demands before a looming deadline tied to the easing of sanctions, according to sources who spoke to Reuters.
In October, the United States announced a six-month reduction of some sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry and lifted a ban on trading bonds in exchange for an agreement on the 2024 elections between President Nicolás Maduro’s government and the opposition. However, the U.S. has made it clear that sanctions relief will be reversed if Maduro does not take action by Nov. 30 to release political prisoners and unjustly detained Americans and make progress toward lifting bans on holding public office.
One of the opposition politicians affected by the ban is María Corina Machado, the winner of the opposition presidential primaries.
There are ongoing deliberations within the Biden administration on how to respond to the situation. A decision will depend on what Maduro does by Thursday. Some sources believe that the U.S. may not immediately respond, and any reaction could come weeks later.
The Maduro government could allow resources to advance in the Supreme Court of Justice, potentially enabling the resolution of the bans on holding public office. However, it remains uncertain how the U.S. would respond if Maduro does not meet his commitments by the deadline.
There is also uncertainty over the release of political prisoners, with the government having released only five prisoners in October and no further releases since then. The U.S. is focused on the release of three Americans it considers unjustly detained, along with another American whose whereabouts are unknown.
The State Department has not commented on private diplomatic discussions but has made it clear that a failure to comply with the terms of the agreement will lead to a reversal of the steps taken by the U.S.
The U.S. has expressed its seriousness about reinstating sanctions if Maduro does not meet his commitments by the end of the month. It has even suggested that sanctions could be reinstated on the state gold company Minerven.
While U.S. and Venezuelan officials have maintained contacts since their representatives last met in Qatar, it remains unclear whether any progress has been made. The situation remains fluid, with both countries facing a critical deadline at the end of the month.