Full Breakdown
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Sanctions Removal on October 14, 2026
On October 14, 2026 the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it had removed Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The delisting eliminates the financial freezes, U.S. transaction bans, and travel restrictions that had applied to Rodríguez since September 25, 2018. The notice was posted on the Treasury’s website without an accompanying explanation.
Background & Context
Jorge Rodríguez, a 60-year-old psychiatrist, has headed Venezuela’s legislature since 2021. He previously served as vice president under Hugo Chávez and as communications minister during Nicolás Maduro’s administration. His sister, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed the role of interim president after the U.S. captured Maduro on January 3, 2026. The Rodríguez siblings belong to a political family whose patriarch, Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, founded the Socialist League Party and died in police custody in 1976.
The original sanctions against Rodríguez were imposed on September 25, 2018 under Executive Order 13692, signed by President Barack Obama on March 8, 2015. That order authorized the blocking of property and interests of individuals deemed to be undermining democratic institutions, committing human-rights abuses, or engaging in corruption in Venezuela. At the time, the designations targeted Maduro’s inner circle, including Delcy Rodríguez, Cilia Flores, and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López.
Timeline
- March 8, 2015 – Executive Order 13692 signed, establishing the legal basis for later individual sanctions.
- September 25, 2018 – OFAC adds Jorge Rodríguez (then Minister of Communication) to the SDN list.
- January 3, 2026 – U.S. forces detain Nicolás Maduro in Caracas; Delcy Rodríguez becomes interim president.
- April 1, 2026 – OFAC removes Delcy Rodríguez from the SDN list.
- August 2026 – President Donald Trump announces a plan for direct U.S. access to a large share of Venezuela’s oil to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
- October 14, 2026 – OFAC delists Jorge Rodríguez, lifting his personal sanctions.
Data & Statistics
- Sanctions Duration: 8 years, 19 days.
- Oil Access Agreement: The August 2026 plan gives the United States majority control over one-fifth of Venezuela’s crude reserves, estimated at roughly 300 billion barrels.
- SDN Entry Details: Five name variations for “Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez,” all sharing the birthdate 9 November 1965 and the same Venezuelan identity-card number, were removed.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Treasury notice gave no reason for the delisting.
- The Venezuelan communications ministry did not comment.
- The U.S. State Department framed ongoing talks with Rodríguez as part of a “phased transition” that includes institutional rebuilding and preparation for future elections.
- Delcy Rodríguez, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, pledged that Venezuela will hold elections, though no date was set. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for elections by July 2027.
What’s Next
Jorge Rodríguez is scheduled to begin a new round of talks with a faction of the opposition on the day of the delisting. The discussions, backed by the United States, aim to reshape Venezuela’s political system ahead of upcoming elections and include proposed reforms to the country’s top court and electoral authority. No further dates for elections or additional policy changes have been announced.
