In fact, sanctions continue to be some of the best tools to get the Maduro regime to the negotiating table and to hold the regime and its enablers accountable. A unified effort—including potential new allies in Asia, Africa, and Middle East, where Venezuelan oil and gold have been uncovered—could create extraordinary leverage to negotiate a genuine political solution. Many EU officials conveyed to us that individual financial sanctions against Venezuelan regime officials were preferred over sectoral sanctions, but building a consensus within the EU has proven more challenging. When the Russians continued trading Venezuelan oil under a new shell company—TNK Trading—it was sanctioned almost immediately, further debilitating support for the regime. Despite the fact that the Maduro regime has a monopoly on rampant and widespread corruption in Venezuela, corruption is still corruption.

Source: CNN January 10, 2023 22:50 UTC