The US has further relaxed restrictions on oil companies operating in Venezuela
Companieslike\u00A0 Repsol, Eni, Chevron, BP or Shell will be able to significantly increase oil productionthanks to newB signs. Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz advanced that his company is willing to "invest more in Venezuela."
On Friday , the US Treasury Department announced two new licences to further reduce restrictions on operating in Venezuela and to grant permits to five companies, including Repsol, but under strict control and reporting conditions.
These two new licences, however, have not repealedthe US sanctions still imposed on Venezuela, which have been particularly harsh since 2019. However, it helpsnon-Venezuelan companies to start extracting oil in that country, or those that already do, such as Repsol, to significantly increase capital investments and production.
This agreement is part oftheplan agreed by Washington with the government of Venezuela's responsible president, Delcy Rodriguez , to reopen the local oil market after the US president capturedNicolas Maduro on January 3 .
The first license announced by the Office of Foreign Asset Control authorizes five major companies (Chevron, BP, Eni, Shell and Repsol).
The permit requires that any contract be subject to US jurisdictionand requires that all paymentsmadeby OFAC to "blocked" individuals (which continues to maintain sanctions on individuals and institutions in Venezuela) be made in accounts designated by the US Treasury.
The second order authorizes the negotiation and signing of future investment contracts, whether or not specific OFAC licences are issued in the future. This second licence expressly prohibits any transaction affecting any person or entity linked to Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Chinaand vessels sanctioned by Washington.
The new permits granted will allow, among others, Repsol and Eni to make high-value gas extractions. Josu Jon Imaz Repsol's CEO already advanced that his company was willingto"invest more in Venezuela" and triple its oil production in the Caribbean country to approximately 135,000 The day.
You might like
Trump says he's willing to talk to Hezbollah if Lebanon asks him
While the President of the United States is pushing for negotiations for the departure of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon, Israeli troops have opened fire on the Lebanese army as a "warning."
Nearly a thousand deaths in the Congo Ebola outbreak, with a death rate of 39.9%
Médecins du Monde has warned that there is a "very complex" context, marked by the conflict, the displacement of the population and the limited capacity of the health system, which faces "four epidemics at once: Ebola, cholera, measles and mpox."
Andy Burnham's Government Announces Withdrawal of British Electricity VAT
The measure will be financed in part by the cancellation of the project to launch the digital identity programme, the cost of which was expected to be around £600 million a year.
Nicaragua's president announces that there will be no elections in the country anymore
Elections should actually be held in November 2027, but the announcement made by President Daniel Ortega, who has been in charge of the country since 2007, has closed the door to elections.
Iran's attacks in the Middle East have injured nearly 100 military personnel, according to the Pentagon
The Pentagon itself confirmed last weekend that three American soldiers have been killed in Iranian attacks on Jordan and Iraq. The U.S. Army has been attacking Iranian targets for 10 consecutive days, and Iran has responded by attacking Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and other allied countries.
Trump says Netanyahu won't be arrested in America
Israeli Prime Minister Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, has declared that Netanyahu is a "war criminal" and is considering his arrest.
The Houthis impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to the "siege" of Riyadh
They have described the measure as an "eye for an eye," facing the Saudi blockade of Yemen for 12 years.
Burnham takes over as prime minister in the UK, promising a "new political and economic model"
Among the priorities of the future government are the reform of the education system, the strengthening of mental health services and the construction of more subsidized housing.
The U.S. bombed Iran for the ninth night in a row
Iran, for its part, has attacked several US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and Bahrain has activated its sirens against air strikes.
Trump wanted to join the celebration of Spain, but he was sidelined
U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hand over the World Cup trophy to Rodrigo, captain of the Spanish team. An spite of being given time to leave the venue, Trump tried to pose in the photo of the world champions celebrations.