The U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website.
The newly announced sanctions relief represents a strong signal that the U.S. recognizes Rodríguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela. Washington has already formally recognized her as the country’s head of state in legal and diplomatic settings.
The lifted sanctions come as the Trump administration has been engaging with Venezuela’s interim government since the U.S. military captured Rodriguez’s predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife on Jan. 3 in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
The pair were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges and both have pleaded not guilty.