Earlier this year, the Biden administration attempted to persuade Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections by easing sanctions on the country. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful, leading to calls for the reinstatement of sanctions.
In response to Maduro's crackdown on the opposition, including barring opposition primary winner Maria Corina Machado from running, the U.S. reinstated sanctions on the gold mining industry that were previously lifted under the Barbados Agreement in April.
