Venezuela’s president says limited sanctions relief is not enough to stabilize his country’s troubled economy.
Published April 14, 2026
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has called on the United States to lift a series of sanctions that are hurting the country’s economy.
Her remarks Tuesday came after the U.S. Treasury Department announced it would issue new licenses allowing transactions with certain Venezuelan banks and individuals.
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But Rodriguez argued that the measures are not enough to save Venezuela from its ongoing economic crisis.
She framed her request as a requirement for foreign investment, a priority of US President Donald Trump.
“We reiterate the need to move towards a sanctions-free Venezuela as a means of providing institutional legal certainty to investors coming to our country, an environment that guarantees long-term sustainable investment and a forward-looking perspective,” Rodríguez said on social media.
Last week, Rodríguez’s government faced protests from workers demanding higher wages and better pensions amid frustration over Venezuela’s sluggish economy.
Venezuela continues to face its worst economic crisis in modern history, with critics blaming factors such as government mismanagement, corruption and U.S. regulations for instability.
Rodriguez took office less than four months after U.S. forces abducted and imprisoned then-President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Previously, she was President Maduro’s vice president.
Mr. Rodriguez has sought to cooperate with Mr. Trump’s demands since taking office.
President Trump has made opening Venezuela to foreign investment a top priority, following decades of efforts to nationalize key industries in the country.
He has also insisted on some control over Venezuelan policy related to oil and minerals.
Since Maduro’s ouster, President Trump has threatened to “run” Venezuela and used the threat of further military action to pressure the Rodriguez government to go along with his policies.
In response, the Venezuelan government passed a law relaxing restrictions on oil exploration and extraction.
He also approved a sweeping amnesty bill to free political prisoners, but critics said it did not go far enough and its provisions were vague.
Rodriguez argued that economic restrictions imposed by the United States on Maduro’s government need to be eased to give more room for economic recovery.
She promised to address concerns over workers’ pay on May 1, a day commonly associated with workers’ rights.
On Tuesday, she met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit and expressed interest in hearing from energy executives about potential projects and regulatory changes in Venezuela.
Since the ouster of President Maduro, the United States has moved to strengthen ties with Venezuela, which had been severed for many years.
For example, it reopened its embassy in Caracas and gradually eased sanctions on certain sectors, including the oil industry.
The United States currently approves all overseas sales of Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds going into U.S.-controlled bank accounts.
Tuesday’s sanctions relief targeted Venezuela’s central bank as well as other state-owned banks and financial services companies, including Banco de Venezuela, Tesoro and Digital de los Trabajadores.
Another general permit was issued to lift sanctions on certain transactions with the Venezuelan government to facilitate “commercial-related negotiations.”
