The US denies “active conversation” about buying Venezuelan oil

The White House denied on Monday that the United States is currently discussing importing oil from Venezueladismissing speculation that Washington might seek help from Caracas to ease supply shortages.

The Joe Biden administration is looking for ways to ease the pressure on oil prices caused by the covid-19 pandemic and the war unleashed by Russia, a major oil producer, against Ukraine.

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But the White House ruled out that the purchase of oil from Venezuela be a matter of discussion.

“Not an active conversation right now”spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a news conference.

United States and Venezuela They broke off diplomatic relations three years ago, after President Nicolás Maduro, in power since 2013, assumed a second term after disputed elections.

Washington then imposed a battery of sanctions to force Maduro out, including a de facto embargo on Venezuelan oil that has been in effect since April 2019.

Speculation about a possible thaw between United States and Venezuela grew after the release on Tuesday, March 8, of two Americans detained in Venezuela: Gustavo Cárdenas and Jorge Alberto Fernández.

Cárdenas is one of the so-called “Citgo 6″, six former executives of the US subsidiary of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA detained in Venezuela in 2017 accused of corruption. Fernández is a Cuban-American arrested in early 2021 in the state of Táchira (border with Colombia) and accused of “terrorism”.

Both were released after senior US officials traveled to Caracas on Saturday, March 5, including the adviser for the Americas on Biden’s National Security Council, Juan González, the ambassador of United States on Venezuela (based in Bogotá), Jimmy Story, and the presidential special envoy for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens.

Psaki confirmed on Monday the 7th the press reports about the meeting with the Maduro government and pointed out that the issue of energy was on the table.

“The purpose of the trip that administration officials took was to discuss a variety of topics, including, certainly, energy security, but also to discuss the health and well-being of detained American citizens.”Psaki told reporters.

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Source: Elcomercio

Deshawn