Venezuelan president says limited sanctions relief has not been enough to stabilise the country’s turbulent economy. Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez has called on the United States to lift the suite of sanctions that have hammered the country’s economy.Her remarks on Tuesday came after the US Treasury Department announced it would issue new licences to allow transactions with certain Venezuelan banks and individuals.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listBut Rodriguez argued the move was not enough to help Venezuela out of its ongoing economic crisis.She framed her request as a necessary condition for foreign investment, a priority for US President Donald Trump.“We reiterate the need to advance towards a Venezuela free of sanctions, as a means of providing institutional legal certainty to investors coming to our country – a setting where they are guaranteed sustained investment over time and a forward-looking perspective,” Rodriguez wrote on social media.Rodriguez’s government faced protests last week from workers demanding higher wages and better pensions, amid frustration over Venezuela’s sluggish economy.Venezuela continues to grapple with one of the worst economic crises in its modern history, with critics blaming factors like government mismanagement, corruption, and US restrictions for the instability.Rodriguez was sworn in less than four months ago, after US military forces abducted and imprisoned then-President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Previously, she was Maduro’s vice president.Since her inauguration, Rodriguez has sought to cooperate with Trump’s demands.Trump has made it a priority to open Venezuela to foreign investment, following a decades-long movement to nationalise the country’s major industries. Advertisement He has also insisted on a degree of control over Venezuelan policy related to oil and minerals.Since Maduro’s removal, Trump has threatened to “run” Venezuela and used the threat of further military action to pressure the Rodriguez government into alignment with his policies.In response, Venezuela’s government has passed laws to loosen restrictions on oil exploration and mining.It also authorised a sweeping amnesty bill to release political prisoners, though critics say the legislation did no …
