US urged to suspend oil licenses to pressure Maduro

The Venezuelan opposition wants the United States to suspend the “licenses” oil companies to pressure the government of Nicolás Maduro in the form to negotiate a “peaceful and orderly transition” of power.

“The oil companies that are working in Venezuela are doing so with a license from the Treasury Department,” said María Corina Machado’s political advisor in the United States, Rafael de la Cruz, at a conference organized by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas in New York on Monday.

These permits, in a context of Washington’s sanctions against Caracas, were intended to “encourage the government to negotiate again with the United States,” according to De la Cruz. But “they have not worked” and, on the contrary, “They are a lifeline for the regime,” argument.

The oil companies that operate in Venezuela through this type of license are mainly the American Chevron, the Spanish Repsol and the Italian Eni, he recalled.

It would force Maduro to sit down and negotiate

When the Venezuelan regime has “sat down to negotiate” He did it “because he is under significant economic pressure”“De la Cruz said. And that is the pressure that the opposition is now demanding from the United States in order to obtain recognition of the popular will that “mostly” called for a change in Venezuela.

Maduro claimed victory in the July elections, even though almost two months later he has still not presented the voting records.

Four laws concerning Venezuela are being processed in the US Congress, and “At least three of them have a provision on the subject of suspending licenses”recalled Machado’s advisor.

“If the United States ends up making the decision not to continue renewing licenses, or Congress (…) approves a law that forces the administration (government, editor’s note) not to grant licenses, that will be a very important additional pressure,” he said.

It would force Maduro to sit down and negotiate and “agree on guarantees” so that the regime hands over government “in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

Gustavo García, Machado’s economic advisor, believes there are “enormous opportunities” for investors in Venezuela, particularly in the oil sector, where production could rise from the current 900,000 barrels per day to 3.5 or 4 million barrels per day.

De la Cruz acknowledged that at this time The opposition has no “direct communication” with the Maduro government.