MADRID – Spain will ask the EU to lift sanctions on Venezuela if the country’s interim leadership continues to take steps towards a democratic transition, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Wednesday.
Speaking to El País, almost two weeks after a US military operation in Caracas led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, Albares said sanctions “are not an end in themselves, but a means to an end,” aimed at achieving a “peaceful” and “democratic” solution.
The Spanish minister argued that Brussels should reconsider maintaining sanctions on an “acting president,” warning this could complicate dialogue “with the person representing the country internationally.”
The EU imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, including an arms embargo, travel bans and asset freezes targeting 69 individuals and entities accused of human rights violations and undermining the rule of law. The measures were last extended in December until January 2027.
Those listed include interim leader Delcy Rodríguez and interior minister Diosdado Cabello, both close Maduro allies whom the opposition accuses of playing a central role in the regime’s repressive apparatus.
Albares pointed to the release of detainees as a potential sign of “a new phase” in Venezuela, referring to the mass release of political prisoners announced last week by Caracas – a claim opposition figures and activists say has yet to materialise.
According to the European Council, sanctions would only be lifted once Venezuela makes “tangible progress” on human rights and the rule of law, alongside “meaningful” steps towards a democratic transition agreed by all political actors.
(cs)