Republicans took aim at President Joe Biden following reports that he is considering providing significant sanctions relief to Venezuela’s government in order to allow Chevron to resume pumping oil there, clearing the way for the resumption of crude exports to the West.
By Washington Examiner – Breanne Deppisch
Oct 06, 2022
According to the proposed deal, reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration would grant sanctions relief to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the condition that he resumes long-stalled talks with political opposition on conditions needed to hold free and fair presidential elections in 2024.
The proposal comes one day after OPEC+ members announced they would cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, delivering a significant blow to the Biden administration, which had lobbied extensively for the oil producers not to reduce their output and squeeze the energy markets further.
The cuts raise fears of higher oil prices and higher gas prices in the United States, which would hurt Democrats in the midterm elections, as well as added revenues for the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with today’s announcement,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters following the news.
Talks with Venezuela about sanctions reductions began in March shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . They have since gained further momentum, including this weekend, when Biden announced a prisoner swap between Washington and Caracas – authorizing the return of two of Maduro’s jailed relatives from the U.S. in exchange for Venezuela’s return of seven American detainees.
A U.S. official told the WSJ that the prisoner swap created “new opportunities” between the two countries.
Prominent Republicans seized on the news to blast Biden’s energy policies, describing a deal with Venezuela as “unconscionably dangerous,” while others blamed Biden for causing the energy crisis in the first place.
“Why on earth would you let Venezuela’s corrupt leader Maduro – a Russian lackey – make money by selling oil and not let freedom-loving Pennsylvanians, Kansans, Oklahomans, Texans and North Dakotans before that?” former CIA Director Mike Pompeo said in response to the news. “Unconscionably dangerous.”
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Read More: Washington Examiner – Biden faces GOP heat for reported deal to lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil
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