Businessmen in the US called on the president-elect of the country - Donald Trump, to improve relations with Venezuela and remove sanctions on the energy sector of the South American republic, the newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
U.S. oil executives are urging Trump to back off pressure on the Venezuelan economy, as U.S. officials have done before, including during the politician's first term as president. Businessmen have suggested that the country's future leader make a deal with Caracas so that Venezuela can supply oil, and in return begin to slow migration flows to the US.
According to the publication, reaching agreements between the US and Venezuela would also help “deter adversaries such as the Russian Federation and China”, as they strengthened their positions in the republic after the White House imposed sanctions that banned US Venezuelan oil extraction and transportation companies.
At the same time, people close to the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are suspicious of a possible improvement in relations initiated by Washington. According to them, simplifying the process of supplying oil to the United States and resuming the agreement to deport Venezuelan migrants from the United States, which was suspended by the administration of the current President Joe Biden, will only help Trump achieve his political goals and expel migrants.
In early November, the United States extended until May 9, 2025. the general licenses for four oil corporations to carry out operations necessary to terminate their activities in Venezuela, as well as to ensure the safety of personnel and assets. Sanctions imposed by the Washington administration on the Bolivarian Republic's oil sector prohibit US companies from doing business with any body or entity controlled by the Maduro government.