Spain Urges EU to Lift Venezuela Sanctions

Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, has urged the European Union to lift sanctions on Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, following Venezuela's approval of a limited amnesty bill for certain prisoners. Delcy Rodriguez, who assumed power after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, has also made concessions on oil sales to the Trump administration and released political prisoners, aiming for a normalization of relations. The European Union had imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2017 and 2018 due to alleged human rights violations and undermining of democracy. While Spain advocates for lifting sanctions as a signal of positive change, the European Union Commission, through Anouar El Anouni, has indicated a readiness to support a transition to democracy without directly addressing Spain's proposal. Human rights groups, however, suggest the amnesty bill does not go far enough to address the issue of political prisoners.