SINCE Joe Biden became President of the United States, certain actions by his administration have benefited Nicolás Maduro and his allies, giving a sort of “wink” to the tyranny.
Although the dialogue with Nicolás Maduro’s regime has not progressed, Biden decided to lift certain sanctions and now new revelations are coming to light that shows how Venezuela’s tyranny is once again beginning to benefit itself without being forced to give anything in return.
More oil, more money for Maduro
In May, it became known that the Biden administration authorized the U.S. oil company Chevron to begin negotiations with the Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA for possible future operations in that country.
In June, Chevron obtained a license from the US Treasury Department that allows it “transactions and activities necessary for the security or preservation of assets in Venezuela”, including those to ensure the protection of personnel and the integrity of operations, participation in shareholders’ meetings and payments of third-party invoices, local taxes, utilities and salaries. In addition, it obtained authorization from the State Department so that, president of Chevron’s operations in Venezuela, Javier La Rosa, and the Venezuelan Oil Minister, Tareck el Aissami, evaluate the most suitable mechanism for Chevron to take over the production, shipment and sale of Venezuelan crude oil.
Those negotiations would now have resulted in an agreement in which the oil company had to give Maduro money in advance for these future operations.
According to the local newspaper El Nacional, Chevron will assume control of the production and exports of its joint ventures with Petroleos de Venezuela: Petroboscan, Petropiar, Petroindependiente and Petroindependencia, but “will pay PDVSA at least 50% in advance of the number of exports”.
All of this means that the United States allowed Chevron to negotiate with El Aissami, one of the most wanted men by the FBI and who faces charges of money laundering, drug trafficking and even links to international terrorism.
Green light for Maduro accomplices
In addition to the lifting of sanctions, and the fact that now Chevron will have to pay money in advance to continue operations, it was also learned that the Treasury Department decided to be lenient with one of the accomplices of the tyranny who was also under sanctions. Such is the case of Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín.
In 2020, the Treasury sanctioned Raúl Antonio Gorrín Belisario, owner of the Globovisión television network, for having bribed the Venezuelan National Treasury Office to carry out illicit foreign exchange operations in Venezuela.
Gorrín faces nine counts of money laundering, one count of conspiracy in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the United States. He is considered a fugitive by the American justice system and since November 2019 he has been part of the most wanted list for corruption. Despite this, he managed to recover his luxury apartment in New York in exchange for paying his debt.
The businessman was given a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to pay the $650,000 he owes to the board of directors of the building where he has a luxury apartment in New York City.
Malpica Flores, who was treasurer of the Nation (2013-2016) and vice president and internal finance director of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) between 2014 and 2016, was sanctioned by the United States in July 2017 for his former relationship with PDVSA, an entity that, the Treasury explained at the time, was “strongly associated” with “Venezuelan government corruption.”
Malpica Flores, who was treasurer of the Nation (2013-2016) and vice president and internal finance director of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) between 2014 and 2016, was sanctioned by the United States in July 2017 due to her former relationship with PDVSA, an entity that, the Treasury explained at the time, was “strongly associated” with “Venezuelan government corruption.”
Her removal from the sanctions list follows talks held in March in Caracas between U.S. and Venezuelan government officials. However, still Maduro’s tyranny has not been forced to relent: it remains in power, continues to persecute dissent, and is not committed to holding free and democratic elections in Venezuela.
Sabrina Martín Rondon is a Venezuelan journalist. Her source is politics and economics. She is a specialist in corporate communications and is committed to the task of dismantling the supposed benefits of socialism // Sabrina Martín Rondon es periodista venezolana. Su fuente es la política y economía. Es especialista en comunicaciones corporativas y se ha comprometido con la tarea de desmontar las supuestas bondades del socialismo