Khaberni - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent said that additional US sanctions imposed on Venezuela could be lifted within days to facilitate oil sales, noting that he will meet later with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to discuss their re-engagement with Venezuela.
In an interview with Reuters, Bisent additionally mentioned that approximately 5 billion dollars of Special Drawing Rights assets currently frozen in Venezuela could be utilized to help rebuild the country's economy.
During a visit to a Winnebago Industries engineering facility, Bisent clarified, "We will lift sanctions on the oil that will be sold."
He pointed out that the Treasury Department is considering making changes that would facilitate the return of revenues from stored oil largely on board ships back to Venezuela.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the US State Department urged its nationals not to travel to Venezuela and those already there to "leave the country immediately," considering the security situation to be "unstable."
The department reported that information indicates "armed groups, known as Collectivos, are establishing roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of American nationality or support for the United States."
Protests
Thousands of supporters of the detained Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro gathered in a massive rally in the streets of Caracas a week after his arrest by American forces.
The protesters displayed banners featuring images of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during the solidarity rally.
Last Friday, the Venezuelan government announced that it began exploring the possibility of expanding diplomatic relations with the United States.
The government stated in its declaration that Venezuela "has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the United States government, aimed at reestablishing diplomatic representation in both countries." It added that a Venezuelan delegation will visit the United States for evaluations.
The US State Department mentioned that the American officials discussed the "possibility of a gradual resumption" of embassy operations in Venezuela, located in South America.
Following the American military operation last week, which resulted in the detention of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and the temporary presidency of his deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, Washington and Caracas expressed their willingness to cooperate.
