Washington, Feb 11 (EFE). - The U.S. Treasury Department relaxed restrictions this Tuesday to allow American companies to operate in the Venezuelan oil market, albeit under strict control and reporting conditions. Through two licenses published on its website (one for trading hydrocarbons and another for the use of airports and ports), the Treasury has relaxed - without eliminating the sanctions, tightened in 2019, that still weigh on the Caribbean country - the restrictions on Venezuela's natural goods, including oil and gas, so that American companies can trade them. The licenses include strict conditions to prevent direct benefits to the Venezuelan government, such as any contract with Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) or the state being governed by U.S. laws and any disputes being resolved in U.S. courts. Additionally, payments to individuals under U.S. sanctions must be made to accounts designated by the Treasury to maintain a 'centralized financial control'. Companies using the license to export or supply Venezuelan oil to countries other than the United States will have to submit detailed reports to the Trump administration. These reports must detail the parties involved, quantities, values, destinations, and any payments to the Venezuelan government, with initial reports due ten days after the first transaction and then every 90 days. In turn, the Treasury also approved a license today authorizing operations related to ports and airports in Venezuela. The document permits 'ordinary and necessary' transactions for the use of logistical infrastructure, from the payment of landing fees and airport services to port operations, such as docking, provided that these activities are essential for transport and logistics and do not include sanctioned persons or entities exempt from the established exceptions. The Treasury's authorization was issued five weeks after the military operation in which the United States detained Nicolás Maduro in Caracas to transfer him to New York and accuse him of drug-related charges. Following Maduro's ousting, Trump has stated that U.S. oil companies will return to operate in the Venezuelan oil market and will invest about $10 billion to modernize infrastructure. Until now, Chevron was the only U.S. oil company with a special license to operate in Venezuela.
