US Lifts Sanctions on Venezuela's Acting President Rodríguez

The United States lifted sanctions on Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez on April 2, 2026, marking a key step in normalizing relations between Washington and Caracas three months after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in the capital.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control removed Rodríguez from its list of specially designated nationals, which had frozen her assets in the U.S., barred American companies from dealing with her and restricted her international financial access. The sanctions, imposed in 2018, accused her and her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, of helping Maduro undermine democracy following a disputed election. This relief allows Rodríguez to engage more freely with U.S. businesses and travel to the country for diplomatic purposes, including a potential meeting with President Donald Trump.

The move follows U.S. military operations on January 3 that resulted in Maduro's transfer to New York, where he and his wife, Cilia Flores, face federal charges of drug trafficking and related offenses. Both have pleaded not guilty. In the aftermath, Venezuela's pro-government high court declared Maduro's absence temporary and appointed...