Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez has called on the United States to lift the suite of sanctions that have severely impacted the country's economy. Her remarks on Tuesday came after the US Treasury Department announced it would issue new licenses to allow transactions with certain Venezuelan banks and individuals.

However, Rodriguez argued that the move was insufficient to help Venezuela overcome its ongoing economic crisis. She framed her request as a necessary condition for foreign investment, a priority for US President Donald Trump. Rodriguez wrote on social media: "We reiterate the need to advance towards a Venezuela free of sanctions, as a means of providing institutional legal certainty to investors coming to our country."

Rodriguez's government faced protests last week from workers demanding higher wages and better pensions, amid frustration over Venezuela's sluggish economy. The country continues to grapple with one of the worst economic crises in its modern history, with critics blaming factors such as government mismanagement, corruption, and US restrictions for the instability.

Rodriguez was sworn in less than four months ago, after US military forces abducted and imprisoned then-President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Previously, she served as Maduro's vice president. Since her inauguration, Rodriguez has sought to cooperate with Trump's demands, which include opening Venezuela to foreign investment following decades of nationalization of major industries.

Rodriguez has insisted that US economic restrictions imposed against the Maduro government must be relaxed to create more space for economic recovery. She pledged to address concerns over workers' wages on May 1, a day commonly associated with labor rights. On Tuesday, she met with US Assistant Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit and expressed interest in hearing from energy executives about potential projects in Venezuela and regulatory changes.

Source: www.aljazeera.com