The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has notified partners of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA - including the Spanish company Repsol - that their permits to export crude oil and derivatives from Venezuela have been revoked, as reported by U.S. media outlets, according to Efe.
In addition to Repsol, among the affected companies are the American Global Oil Terminals, the Italian Eni, the French Maurel & Prom, and the Indian Reliance Industries, which had received permits to operate with Venezuelan crude in their refineries worldwide, as an exception to sanctions against the Chavismo regime.
Those licenses were granted during the administration of Democrat Joe Biden (2021-2025), so, according to U.S. press reports, most of these oil companies had already suspended imports of Venezuelan oil after Trump ordered a 25% tariff on buyers of Venezuelan oil and gas earlier this week.
However, in the cases of Repsol and Reliance, with a significant presence in the United States, authorization had been requested to operate in Venezuela and avoid sanctions.
Now, the companies have until the end of May to settle operations in Venezuela, intensifying the Trump administration's campaign to isolate the country, amid a battle where migration also plays a fundamental role: Washington has stated that Caracas has consistently refused to accept deported U.S. nationals.
Nevertheless, the Venezuelan government denies this claim and, as reported, a flight with 229 Venezuelans from the U.S. will land in Venezuelan territory today.
Trump also announced weeks ago the revocation of a key license granted to the American company Chevron to operate in Venezuela, which will have to dismantle its facilities in the Latin American country.
Additionally, the U.S. President issued an executive order this week stating that the United States will begin imposing the aforementioned 25% tariff on any country purchasing Venezuelan oil.