Venezuelan opposition leaders meeting with Biden administration officials this week sought to find out whether the Latin American nation can get relief from U.S. sanctions in exchange for free elections safeguards during upcoming talks with Nicolas Maduro’s regime organized by Norway, sources familiar with the situation said.
U.S. sanctions against state-run oil company PDVSA and high-ranking members of the regime are about the only weapons left in the arsenal of Venezuela’s weakened opposition, led by former Congress President Juan Guaidó, as the Maduro regime continues to solidify its grip on the country, the sources said, speaking under the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the negotiations.
Opposition leaders held meetings this week with key legislators, as well as the State Department, Treasury and White House officials, to iron out details of a new roadmap to deal with the Venezuelan crisis.
