US Lifts Sanctions on Venezuela's Rodríguez

0:00It's April 2nd. Welcome in. This is Global News Today, where the world meets AI on Cory with the story. The United States just lifted sanctions on Venezuela's interim president, Delsey Rodriguez. This comes less than three months after U.S. forces grabbed former leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a raid on Caracas, hauling them to New York. On drug trafficking charges, Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president, got slapped with those sanctions back in 2018 for messing with democracy. She's a Maduro ally, sworn in by his loyalist national assembly right after the raid. President Trump calls her a terrific person, and now her name's off the specially designated nationals list, freeing up U.S. assets and business ties. Rodriguez held it as a big step toward better relations. White House reps say its progress on stability, economic recovery, and political reconciliation. But opposition folks in Caracas are pushing back hard, demanding she free all political

1:00prisoners. Hundreds are out thanks to an amnesty law, yet. Nearly 500 still sit in jail. Earlier this week, the U.S. reopened its embassy in Caracas after seven years, and Venezuela's sending a team to restart theirs in Washington. High-level talks have ramped up on accessing oil and minerals. Opposition leader Maria Carina Machado, back from exile after her Nobel win, met Secretary of State Marko Rubio and State Optimistic. Rubio laid out a three-part plan, saying Venezuela's in recovery phase two. With free elections coming eventually, just got to stay patient without slacking.