Spain plans to ask EU to lift sanctions on Venezuela's interim president

ISTANBUL

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced Friday that Spain will request that the EU lift sanctions against Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez after an amnesty bill was recently approved by Venezuelan lawmakers.

"Sanctions are never an end in themselves; they are a means to an end, to bring about this broad, peaceful, and democratic dialogue in Venezuela. If steps are being taken in this direction, the European Union must also take them," Albares told reporters, according to broadcaster RTVE.

The bill aims to grant “a general and full amnesty for crimes or offenses committed” since 1999, including “acts of politically motivated violence” tied to the 2024 presidential election.

Albares reiterated the need for amnesty to be "as broad as possible," and stressed "it is essential to support Venezuela at this time."

After months of heightened tensions, the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, which triggered a series of developments, including the swearing-in of Rodriguez, the passage of reforms to the country’s flagship oil law and the release of some political prisoners.