Success in Venezuela is important for American diplomacy
For a long time, Washington has consistently increased sanctions pressure against the government of Nicolas Maduro. Back in December 2014, the Venezuela Defence of Human Rights and Civil Society Act (PL 113-278) passed through the US Congress and was signed by the president. The law required the president ...
Are We in for Epidemics of Sanctions?
The COVID-19 pandemic has given hope for international consolidation in ... ... were in place long before the pandemic. They concern Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela and Russia [
viii
]. A joint US-Swiss relief supply channel for Iran has become... ... operations [
xxxii
]. The Huawei case was even more high-profile. It also began with accusations of supplies to Iran and could well have ended in fines. But the Trump administration...
... COVID-19 epidemic has sparked a discussion about the possible suspension of economic sanctions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is among those calling for such a... ... medics. Cuba has faced fuel shortages as a result of a U.S.-led embargo for years now. Venezuela and a number of other countries have yet to feel the full force of the COVID-19... ...
approved
applications for humanitarian exemptions, a host of problems arose—bank refusals, supplier delays, delays at customs, etc.
Christian Wollny:
Coronavirus Reveals...
China’s flexible energy policy and the US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela
In the last few years, China’s energy policy has changed radically owing to both the changed priorities in domestic policy and sharp bifurcations in the international situation. As the growth pace of the national economy slowed down, China’s ...
The PDVSA case raises important questions concerning Russian banks’ strategy regarding U.S. sanctions
In terms of sanctions, February was significant due to reports about certain ties between Russia’s Gazprombank and PDVSA, Venezuela’s monopolist in oil production. On February 10, Gazprombank refuted a report by
Reuters
that PDVSA’s banking accounts ... ... sector and the amount of transactions conducted with persons/entities that have been sanctioned. The fines range from ten thousand to hundreds of millions, and given claims by other U.S. regulators, the fines can reach billions of dollars. Banks bear ...
... vulnerable to such machinations are Russian companies whose role on the international stage is far less unique than that of RUSAL or EN+. Fearing new sanctions, foreign companies are being particularly cautious and may very well refuse to do business with Russian companies even when, from a legal perspective, there is nothing preventing them from doing so.
The events in Venezuela also serve as a valuable lesson here. The United States could step up sanctions should the situation inside the country ...
Four years under pressure
The attempt to change the government in Venezuela and the unequivocal support of the opposition from the United States can hardly be considered a spontaneous phenomenon. For Washington, Nicholas Maduro has been a hostile figure from the very beginning of his rule in 2013. Economic sanctions are a traditional instrument of pressure on such leaders. The dynamics of ramping up US sanctions against Venezuela is an informative indicator of the American policy. It is also interesting from the point of view of the practice of using sanctions ...