The United States on Thursday (17) allowed certain transactions under economic sanctions implemented against the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela to facilitate the fight against COVID-19 in the South American country. (Learn more about the state of the epidemic among Venezuelans at the end of the report).
Without suspending the punitive measures imposed on Caracas, Joe Biden’s government issued licenses authorizing the delivery of the following:
- too expensive
- respirator and oxygen tank
- Vaccines
- test test
- Other types of hospital material to meet the health crisis.
Video: UN calls for ending sanctions on Venezuela in February
UN calls for ending sanctions on Venezuela
The Treasury Department said the decision responds to a memo issued by Biden when he took office in January, which called for a review of all restrictions that could “unnecessarily hinder” the fight against the pandemic.
“These new authorities will support the important actions of governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and private sector actors to provide assistance related to COVID-19,” the Treasury said in a statement.
Washington, which does not recognize Maduro’s re-election as a fraud, increased economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Caracas in January 2019, when the socialist president took a second term.
Tanks with the PDVSA logo at a refinery in Curaçao; Photo date 04/22/2018 — Photo: Andres Martínez Casares/Reuters
Measures taken by Donald Trump’s administration include de facto sanctions on Venezuelan oil, which is critical to the former oil power’s economy. Maduro called the US sanctions a “crime against humanity”.
The US Treasury specified that the authorization issued Thursday does not allow the export of any goods, technology or services to Venezuela’s military, law enforcement agents or intelligence personnel.
There is no green light in transactions involving state-owned oil company PDVSA, nor the Economic and Social Development Bank of Venezuela (Bandés), Bandés Uruguay or other entities owned by them, he said.
Treasury sanctions restrict access to the US financial system and block all potential assets it contains that are under US jurisdiction.
Crowds register in front of a COVID-19 vaccination post at a hotel in Caracas, Venezuela this Monday (31) – Photo: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria / Reuters
Last week, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said the $10 million earmarked for the Covax global system to access anti-Covid vaccines had been “blocked” by a Swiss bank, delaying the procurement process.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which facilitates the purchase of vaccination agents against COVID-19 in the American continent, highlighted on Wednesday that it is waiting to cancel a loan to arrange delivery. is.
Venezuela, with 30 million residents, is facing a strong wave of pandemics that burden health centers.
In addition to the health emergency, the country is mired in a socioeconomic crisis, a situation that has led to the exodus of more than 5.6 million people, according to the United Nations, since Maduro came to power in 2013.
