LatinNews Daily - 14 November 2023

* The European Council has issued new regulations extending the European Union (EU)’s sanctions on dozens of Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations or undermining democracy, although it stated that the sanctions will be reassessed in six months – down from one year previously. The decision to bring forward the review date comes as the US is seeking to entice democratic concessions from President Nicolás Maduro’s government by suspending much of its sanctions regime, including sanctions on Venezuela’s all-important oil sector. However, the Maduro administration bridled at the extension of the EU’s sanctions, with the foreign ministry yesterday releasing a statement saying that it “prevents them [the EU] from participating in Venezuelan political processes” – an apparent reference to the government’s agreement last month to allow EU electoral observers to monitor next year’s presidential election. The EU sanctions will be reviewed on 14 May 2024.