Trump Administration Formally Lifts OFAC Sanctions on Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and Expands Oil Sanctions Relief
On April 1, 2026, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control formally lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez and, building on a March Treasury authorization allowing PDVSA to sell oil to U.S. companies and on global markets, effectively expanded oil‑sanctions relief. The move — welcomed by Rodríguez and read by U.S. officials as a strong signal of recognition after the U.S. military capture of Nicolás Maduro (now in New York on drug‑trafficking charges) — comes as Venezuela’s high court has declared Maduro’s absence “temporary,” empowering Rodríguez to serve for up to 90 days (extendable with the National Assembly’s approval).
📌 Key Facts
- The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) formally lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, as reflected on OFAC’s public list.
- The delisting, together with the Trump administration’s earlier legal recognition of Rodríguez as the “sole Head of State” in a U.S. civil case, has been interpreted as a strong U.S. signal of recognition of Rodríguez as Venezuela’s acting leader following recent events.
- Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. forces in Caracas on Jan. 3 and transported to New York to face drug‑trafficking charges; both have pleaded not guilty.
- Venezuela’s high court declared Maduro’s absence “temporary,” empowered Rodríguez to serve as acting president for up to 90 days (extendable to six months with National Assembly approval), and that 90‑day period was reported as ending Friday; the National Assembly — controlled by the ruling party and presided over by Rodríguez’s brother Jorge — holds the power to extend her acting presidency.
- In March 2026 the Treasury issued a broad authorization allowing PDVSA to sell Venezuelan oil directly to U.S. companies and on global markets, marking a major shift from prior tight restrictions on Venezuelan oil sales.
- Delcy Rodríguez publicly welcomed the Trump administration’s decision to lift the sanctions, according to reporting.
- Delcy and her brother Jorge Rodríguez were first sanctioned by the U.S. in September 2018 for allegedly undermining Venezuelan democracy, a historical context to the recent delisting.
- Reporting across outlets found no clear evidence of additional concrete U.S. policy actions beyond the OFAC delisting and the March oil‑sales authorization; coverage of reactions from Venezuelan opposition figures, U.S. lawmakers and allies was largely contextual rather than reporting new policy steps.
📊 Relevant Data
US sanctions on Venezuela, imposed since 2017, have contributed to a decline in oil production from about 2.5 million barrels per day in 2016 to under 1 million by 2020, exacerbating the economic crisis, though domestic mismanagement was the primary driver.
Why did Venezuela's economy collapse? — Economics Observatory
In Venezuela, approximately 71% of households live in poverty and 67% in extreme poverty as of 2024, with the economic crisis since 2014 driving over 8 million people to migrate due to hyperinflation, shortages, and political instability.
Poverty and inequality in Venezuela - statistics & facts — Statista
Following the easing of US sanctions in early 2026, Venezuela's oil exports have ramped up toward peak capacity, with projections for increased production potentially reaching 1.5 million barrels per day by year-end, boosting government revenues.
Sanctions Update: March 23, 2026 — Steptoe
In Venezuela, more than half of the population identifies as having African ancestry, and racial inequalities persist with Afro-Venezuelans facing higher poverty rates compared to other groups, though specific 2020-2026 disparity data is limited.
Why Afro-Venezuelans Oppose U.S. Intervention in Venezuela — Capital B News
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms via OFAC’s public list that U.S. sanctions on acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez have been lifted, and reports her public statement welcoming President Trump’s decision.
- Details that in March Treasury issued a broad authorization allowing PDVSA to directly sell Venezuelan oil to U.S. companies and on global markets, describing it as a major shift from prior years of tight restrictions.
- Notes that the Trump administration last month recognized Rodríguez as the “sole Head of State” of Venezuela in an ongoing U.S. civil case, reinforcing the legal dimension of U.S. recognition.
- Explains that Maduro remains, in Venezuelan law, president with a “temporary” absence status declared by the regime’s high court, which empowered Rodríguez to serve as acting president for up to 90 days (ending Friday) and potentially six months with National Assembly approval.
- Provides historical context that Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez were first sanctioned in September 2018 for allegedly undermining Venezuelan democracy after Maduro’s widely criticized re‑election.
- The New York Times piece (inferred from the headline) likely adds more detail on U.S. internal deliberations and how the move is being read diplomatically, but the core fact pattern—OFAC lifting sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez on April 1, 2026, after Maduro’s capture and her designation as acting president—is already captured in the existing story.
- Any NYT color on reactions from Venezuelan opposition figures, U.S. lawmakers, or allies would be incremental context rather than a distinct new development in the sanctions status.
- No clear evidence from the limited accessible text that additional concrete policy steps (beyond the already‑reported OFAC delisting) were announced.
- Confirms via an OFAC entry that sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez were formally lifted on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
- States explicitly that the sanctions relief is being interpreted as a strong signal that the U.S. recognizes Rodríguez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela following the U.S. military capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Jan. 3 in Caracas.
- Details that Maduro and his wife were transported to New York to face drug‑trafficking charges, and that both have pleaded not guilty.
- Explains that Venezuela’s high court declared Maduro’s absence “temporary,” ordered Rodríguez to take office for up to 90 days (extendable to six months with National Assembly approval), and that this 90‑day period ends Friday.
- Notes that the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party and presided over by Rodríguez’s brother Jorge, holds the power to extend her acting presidency.