The content originally appeared on: Latin America News – Aljazeera
The United States is reimposing sanctions on Venezuela’s vital oil sector over what it says is the government’s failure to adhere to democratic principles ahead of elections in July.
The administration of US President Joe Biden said it would not renew a licence that expired early on Thursday, and which had partially eased the punitive measures since October after a US-backed election deal was reached between the government and the Venezuelan opposition in Barbados.
list 1 of 4
US reimposes some sanctions after Venezuela bans presidential hopeful
list 2 of 4
Venezuela court disqualifies leading opposition presidential candidate
list 3 of 4
US seizes plane that Iran sold to Venezuela
list 4 of 4
Venezuela accuses US of ‘blackmail’ over sanctions
end of list
“[Venezuela’s President] Nicolas Maduro and his representatives have not fully met the commitments made under the electoral roadmap agreement,” said US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller.
“Therefore, General License 44 – which authorised transactions related to the oil and gas sector with Venezuela – will expire after midnight and not be renewed.”
As the clock ticked down on the deadline, the US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that it had issued a replacement licence giving companies 45 days to “wind down” their business and transactions in the OPEC country’s oil and gas sector.
“We are concerned that Maduro and his representatives prevented the democratic opposition from registering the candidate of their choice, harassed and intimidated political opponents, and unjustly detained numerous political actors and members of civil society,” Miller added.
The government has barred several key political opponents from participating in the July 28 presidential race, despite agreeing with the opposition last October to hold a free and fair vote.
General License 44 broadly authorised oil and gas transactions with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA. It was introduced by the US after the government agreed to reforms that would bring more competitive elections with international observers.
The reimposition of sanctions means that Venezuela’s fuel sales are expected to take a major hit, while US oil companies operating in Venezuela will have to scramble to seek special authorisations.
If the US does not grant enough individual authorisations, PDVSA is expected to resort to little-known intermediaries to sell its oil under price discounts, mainly to Asia.
“We are open [for business], willing to keep progressing along with all foreign companies that want to come,” Venezuela’s Petroleum Minister Pedro Tellechea told reporters after the US announcement.
“Venezuela is ready to secure the stability of global oil markets that we need so much.”
While hitting the Venezuelan economy, the US sanctions also carry risks for Biden as he runs for re-election since they could result in a jump in domestic oil prices or pressure from Venezuela’s government leveraging its migration policy.
Venezuela has previously warned it would cancel migrant repatriation flights for Venezuelans, hundreds of thousands of whom have crossed into the US in recent years, if Washington continued with its “economic aggression”.
The October 2023 agreement collapsed after state institutions loyal to the government disqualified Maduro’s main challenger, Maria Corina Machado, from running.
Machado said the reimposition of sanctions was the result of “a brutal wave of repression”.
Maduro, the successor of the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, is seeking a third six-year term after 11 years in office marked by sanctions, economic collapse and accusations of widespread repression.
Dozens of countries, including the US, rejected the results of the 2018 elections that were won by Maduro and boycotted by the opposition.
But years of sanctions and other pressure failed to dislodge Maduro, who enjoys support from a political patronage system, the military and from Cuba, Russia and China.
USCIS Extends Automatic Extension Period For Immigrants’ Work Permits
By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, FORT LAUDERDALE. FL, Thurs. April 18, 2024: The Department of Homeland Security, (DHS), has initiated a pivotal rule change to safeguard the work permits of thousands of immigrants facing expiration risks.
This significant adjustment follows extensive advocacy efforts led by New York Caribbean-born Congressman, Adriano Espaillat and Senator Elizabeth Warren, backed by 70 Members of Congress, and months of concerted lobbying efforts to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, (USCIS), last October.
The latest temporary rule from USCIS extends the current 180-day automatic extension period for immigrants’ work permits (EADs) to an extensive 540 days. The temporary final rule will also apply to eligible EAD renewal applicants who timely and properly file their Form I-765 application during a 540-day period that begins with the rule’s publication in the Federal Register.
This extension grants USCIS ample time to process immigrants’ work permit renewal applications, thereby ensuring stability for American businesses amidst nationwide labor shortages and shielding immigrants from involuntary job loss due to USCIS’s often protracted application processing times.
The temporary measure will prevent already work-authorized non-citizens from having their employment authorization and documentation lapse while waiting for USCIS to adjudicate their pending EAD renewal applications and better ensure continuity of operations for U.S. employers. This is the latest step by the Biden-Harris Administration to get work-authorized individuals into the workforce, supporting the economies where they live.
“Over the last year, the USCIS workforce reduced processing times for most EAD categories, supporting an overall goal to improve work access to eligible individuals. However, we also received a record number of employment authorization applications, impacting our renewal mechanisms,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Temporarily lengthening the existing automatic extension up to 540 days will avoid lapses in employment authorizations. At the same time, this rule provides DHS with an additional window to consider long-term solutions by soliciting public comments, and identifying new strategies to ensure those noncitizens eligible for employment authorization can maintain that benefit.”
By extending the validity period of certain EAD categories and streamlining adjudication processes, USCIS aims to provide greater stability and certainty to individuals seeking employment authorization. This temporary measure, applicable to eligible applicants who have filed EAD renewal applications since October 27, 2023, will mitigate potential disruptions in employment authorization for nearly 800,000 renewal applicants, spanning various categories including asylees, Temporary Protected Status, (TPS) beneficiaries, and green card applicants.
Furthermore, approximately 60,000 to 80,000 employers stand to benefit from this extension, averting potential disruptions to their operations. USCIS invites public feedback to inform future regulatory actions, underscoring the agency’s commitment to transparency and responsiveness.
This development marks a significant milestone in USCIS’s ongoing efforts to support workforce integration and streamline processes, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and dynamic economy.
Congressman Espaillat hailed the development as a significant victory for working immigrants and their families nationwide. He emphasized the crucial role immigrants play in the nation’s workforce and expressed relief that their work permits, jobs, and livelihoods will no longer be jeopardized solely due to processing delays.
For further details, visit uscis.gov.
Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news outlet focusing on Black immigrant issues.