The US, EU, Canada and UK celebrate a political agreement between the government and the opposition of Venezuela Radio Televisión Martí

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken; the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell Fontelles; Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Development Affairs James Cleverly welcomed the political agreement reached in Barbados on Tuesday between the government and the Venezuelan opposition.

In a joint statement, the officials said the agreement “represents a necessary step in continuing an inclusive dialogue process and restoring democracy in Venezuela.”

They expressed support for “a peaceful negotiated outcome leading to fair and competitive elections and a return to economic stability and security.”

“We continue to call for the unconditional release of all people unjustly imprisoned, the independence of the electoral process and judicial institutions, freedom of expression, including for members of the press, and respect for human and political rights,” the diplomats said. .

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that President Biden’s administration must announce the easing of sanctions against Venezuela’s oil industry following the deal in Barbados.

Citing two people “familiar with the talks,” the newspaper said Washington and the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro had reached an agreement in which the United States would ease sanctions and the authoritarian state would hold a competitive, internationally monitored presidential election next year would enable.

The possibility of easing sanctions was not welcomed by two Florida congressmen who represent districts with large populations of Venezuelan exiles.

“We have discovered that in the future, President Biden’s administration will lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil, which will provide additional sanctions to the Nicolás Maduro regime, which we know is a repressive socialist regime against its people and also an ally “It will generate billions of dollars in revenue from Iran, the country that gives money to Hezbollah and Hamas,” Cuban-American Congressman Carlos A. Giménez said in a video broadcast on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter became.

For his part, Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs in the House Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Caucus for Democracy in Venezuela, issued a statement He expressed that easing sanctions would strengthen the national would endanger US security by helping dangerous opponents.

“The Maduro regime is closely allied with Russia, Iran, Cuba and the People’s Republic of China. Easing sanctions will jeopardize our national security by aiding our dangerous adversaries. I call on the Biden administration to end sanctions relief for half-hearted measures. Cosmetic changes to the elections will not make them fair,” the Cuban-American lawmaker said.