The United States gives the Maduro regime an ultimatum: Reinstate María Corina Machado or face sanctions again

The White House issued a strong warning to the Nicolás Maduro regime, indicating that it has until April to comply with the Barbados Agreement or else the United States reserves the right to make decisions regarding sanctions on Venezuelan gas and oil.

This Monday, the White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, suggested in a press conference that the government is preparing to reestablish sanctions on Venezuela if Maduro maintains María Corina Machado's disqualification. This measure prevents the main opposition leader from being a presidential candidate.

Kirby stated that the White House still has several options available regarding sanctions against the government of Nicolás Maduro and revealed that the deadline for the dictatorial regime to take action and comply with the agreements is April.

The April deadline coincides with the end of the temporary lifting of sanctions against the dictatorial regime.

It should be remembered that the lifting of sanctions was a measure that the U.S. Government adopted under the condition that Nicolás Maduro complied with the agreement he signed in Barbados in which he committed to ensuring fair presidential elections and the eventual resolution of political disqualifications. However, the Venezuelan government recently violated the agreement by disqualifying the opposition leader, who won 92.5% of the votes in the primaries.

Transactions with Minerven are closed

As a first measure in response to the disqualification of María Corina Machado, the U.S. government reversed the easing of sanctions against Corporación Venezolana de Guayana Minerven C.A., a company engaged in gold mining in Venezuela.

The announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department informed that all transactions related to Minerven must be closed before February 13.

The United States could implement other measures

According to a Bloomberg report, U.S. officials indicated that the White House is also evaluating implementing other punitive measures against Venezuela if Nicolás Maduro continues to breach the pact.

The international community rejects the regime's decision

The decision of the dictatorial regime to maintain the disqualification of María Corina Machado has generated various responses at the international level. Several countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, the United Kingdom, Paraguay, Guatemala and the European Union, have expressed their concern and condemnation of this fact.

"Uruguay observes with great concern these judicial disqualifications of political opponents from holding elective or public positions, since they directly threaten the holding of free, democratic and competitive elections," reacted the government of Luis Lacalle Pou.

"The Argentine Government follows the political situation in Venezuela with concern and regrets the decision to disqualify the main opposition leader and winner of the primaries, María Corina Machado, from holding public office," Argentina said in a statement.

Machado's campaign coordinator reacts

The freedom activist and international coordinator of Machado's campaign, Pedro Urruchurtu, rejected Machado's disqualification, recalling that eliminating the opposition candidate chosen by the Venezuelan people prevents fair elections from being carried out.

"There is no point in having an electoral process with 'guarantees' if the regime decides who the opponent is. Absurd," he criticized.

The president of the illegitimate Parliament of Venezuela responds

The deputy and president of the illegitimate National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, reported that the government will review the Barbados Agreement after receiving a statement from the Kingdom of Norway. "We are going to make a new attempt to sustain and maintain the tenets of the Barbados Agreement," he said.

However, Rodríguez affirmed that Machado's disqualification is already a closed issue and assured that the decision will not be modified. "There was already a mechanism to review the disqualifications and everyone agreed to respect the decision. That is already past. The pace is dizzying and in an election year, much more so. He who won, won and he who lost, lost," he said. "There is nothing more to talk about that," he added.