EU considers lifting sanctions on Venezuela’s interim President

25 February 2026

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has said that the EU Commission will propose to lift sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president. Ms Rodríguez became Venezuela’s interim president in January 2026 after the US captured and arrested former president Nicolás Maduro. The EU sanctioned Ms Rodríguez under its Venezuela sanctions regime (Regulation (EU) 2017/2063) in 2018, saying she was responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela.

The EU reviews all sanctions listings every 6 months. The EU Council can decide to remove a person from a sanctions list. The decision requires a unanimous vote of the Council. See our EU delisting page for more information.