2 US senators demand answers over removal of sanctions on Venezuela’s Rodriguez

Two US senators on Wednesday pressed the Trump administration to explain its decision to lift sanctions on Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to question how sanctions relief for Rodriguez advances US national security interests.

“In the wake of a series of recent U.S. sanctions relief for Venezuela, the Administration has an obligation to explain how such relief advances U.S. national security,” the senators wrote.

“Despite no significant changes to the political leadership that carried out repression against the Venezuelan people, the Administration has yet to explain the grounds for lifting sanctions on Delcy Rodriguez.”

The senators warned that lifting sanctions without significant political changes risks strengthening individuals they accuse of contributing to Venezuela’s prolonged political and humanitarian crisis.

“Critically, individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses, corruption or other antidemocratic acts should remain locked out of our financial system absent concrete and meaningful behavior change,” they wrote.

“Absent that, there remains a significant risk that sanctions relief will needlessly increase the resources and capacity of the very actors responsible for Venezuela’s political, economic, and humanitarian collapse,” the senators added.