Venezuela and United States Negotiate Under Qatar’s Mediation

Venezuelan authorities said that they held discussions with US counterparts in Mexico City under Qatar’s mediation.

Venezuelan officials said they met with US counterparts in Mexico City on April 9 to negotiate the lifting of sanctions.

According to the statement, Caracas demanded the removal of all sanctions during the meeting. U.S. representatives included Daniel Erikson from the U.S. National Security Council and Francisco Palmieri, chief of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit.

During the April 9 meeting in Mexico City, the parties revisited their discussions on sanctions and migration from last year in Doha, as stated by Venezuelan officials. “We highlighted the failure of the North American administration to adhere to the agreed timetable for lifting sanctions,” it said, without elaborating further.

U.S. officials reportedly engaged in secret discussions with members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s administration to keep him engaged in negotiations over democratic reforms. The talks occurred days before the scheduled April 18 expiration of a U.S. license allowing the nation’s oil and gas industry to operate without the threat of sanctions.

According to Luis Barcenas, president of the Caracas-based economic firm Ecoanalitica, if the suspension is lifted, Venezuela could lose a total of $2 billion in oil revenue by the end of 2024.

Source: Bloomberg