'Close to Trump' Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker escapes US sanctions after 8 years

Chavez and Maduro regime power... Take control of state affairs with his younger brother as interim president

(Mexico City = Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Gwang-ho = National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez, known as one of the United States' main channels of communication regarding Venezuelan resource issues, was freed from U.S. sanctions after eight years.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on its website on the 14th (local time) that it would remove Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Rodriguez from its sanctions list. However, the specific reason was not explained.

He served in key positions such as chairman of the National Election Commission and vice president during the administrations of former presidents Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, and has been under sanctions by the U.S. government since 2018 along with his younger brother, current interim president Delcy Rodriguez. The Rodriguez siblings are currently the most powerful people in Venezuela, controlling the executive branch and congress.

As a result, National Assembly President Jorge not only regained access to the U.S. and international financial systems for the first time in eight years, but also recovered frozen assets.

Chairman Jorge spearheaded major reform legislation after former President Maduro was extradited to the United States in January. This includes revisions to the Hydrocarbon Act aimed at expanding the participation of global energy companies in oil sector projects.

In addition, as the de facto representative of the ruling party, he is leading negotiations with the opposition party on issues such as the next presidential election schedule, recovery of overseas assets, and reconstruction of the judicial system.

Previously, the U.S. Treasury lifted sanctions on interim President Delcy Rodriguez in April. Delsi and Jorge are the children of Jorge Antonio Rodriguez, a leftist guerrilla fighter who founded the Revolutionary Socialist League and was arrested in 1976 on charges of kidnapping an American businessman.