U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Venezuelan Assembly Leader Jorge Rodríguez
The U.S. Treasury removed Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, from its sanctions list on October 14, 2026. Rodríguez, a psychiatrist and brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez, leads Caracas’s negotiating team in U.S.-backed talks with the opposition. The delisting, announced by OFAC, ends restrictions that had applied since 2018, though Washington gave no explanation.
Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez, born 9 November 1965, is a psychiatrist who presides over Venezuela’s National Assembly. He is the brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez and leads Caracas’s delegation in U.S.-backed talks with the opposition. OFAC deleted him from its Specially Designated Nationals list on 14 October 2026; he had been listed since 25 September 2018.
His earlier roles include communications minister, electoral authority chief and vice-president, according to the profile. The 2018 sanctions also covered Delcy Rodríguez, Cilia Flores and Vladimir Padrino López. Delcy Rodríguez was removed in April 2026, after U.S. forces captured Maduro and Flores; both await proceedings in New York.
The delisting may make it easier for U.S. banks, companies and lawyers to engage Jorge Rodríguez directly, potentially smoothing the government-opposition talks he leads. If those negotiations advance, Venezuelans could see effects on courts, elections and daily political stability. Yet Washington offered no rationale, and visa rules plus other sanctions remain, so the practical consequences for society are uncertain. Opposition figures, business groups and ordinary citizens may all read the move differently, with expectations possibly outpacing concrete change.