US lifts sanctions on Venezuela鈥檚 acting President Delcy Rodr铆guez

WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Venezuela鈥檚 , according to an Office of Foreign Assets Control entry on the Treasury Department website.

The newly announced sanctions relief is the latest U.S. recognition of Rodr铆guez as a legitimate authority in Venezuela ever since the U.S. military captured her predecessor, Nicol谩s Maduro, and his wife on Jan. 3 in Venezuela鈥檚 capital, Caracas.

The pair have since been taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges and both .

The move allows Rodr铆guez to more freely work with U.S. companies and investors. Without explicitly mentioning the sanctions targeting her, Rodr铆guez, in a statement, expressed hope for U.S.-Venezuela relations.

鈥淲e value President Donald Trump鈥檚 decision as a step toward normalizing and strengthening relations between our countries,鈥� she said on her Telegram channel after the Treasury鈥檚 announcement. 鈥淲e trust that this progress will allow for the lifting of current sanctions against our country, enabling us to build and guarantee an effective bilateral cooperation agenda for the benefit of our people.鈥�

Rodr铆guez and her brother, Jorge Rodr铆guez, were hit with U.S. sanctions during Trump鈥檚 first term for their role in allegedly undermining Venezuelan democracy.

The siblings 鈥� along with other members of Maduro鈥檚 inner circle 鈥� were added to the Treasury鈥檚 list in September 2018, months after Maduro won re-election in a contest widely considered a sham because opposition politicians and parties were banned from participating.

鈥淢aduro has given Delcy Eloina Rodr铆guez Gomez and Jorge Jesus Rodr铆guez Gomez senior positions within the Venezuelan government to help him maintain power and solidify his authoritarian rule,鈥� Treasury said in a statement at the time.

The current Trump administration, however, chose to work with Delcy Rodr铆guez, instead of Venezuela’s political opposition, after Maduro’s ouster. She has since led Venezuela鈥檚 cooperation with the administration’s phased plan to turn the country around, pitching her oil-rich nation to international investors and up to private capital, international arbitration, and scrutiny.

Last month, the administration recognized her as the 鈥渟ole Head of State鈥� of Venezuela in an ongoing civil case in U.S. federal court.

The U.S. has lifted sanctions on major Venezuelan industries. In March, Treasury issued a broad authorization allowing the state-owned Petr贸leos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, to directly sell Venezuelan oil to U.S. companies and on global markets, a massive shift after Washington for years had largely blocked dealings with Venezuela鈥檚 government and its oil sector.

Meanwhile, Maduro legally is still Venezuela鈥檚 president.

In the hours after the Jan. 3 operation, the country鈥檚 ruling-party-loyal high court declared his absence 鈥渢emporary,鈥� effectively eliminating the need for a speedy election and preserving the protections the office grants him under international law. The court ordered Rodr铆guez to take office for up to 90 days with the possibility of extending it to six months if approved by the National Assembly, which is also controlled by the ruling party and presided over by her brother.

The 90-day period ends Friday.