The Biden administration in Washington appears determined to ensure that it does not entirely cut adrift Venezuela, the country reportedly possessing the largest volumes of oil anywhere in the world, even as it seeks to persuade the country’s President, Nicolas Maduro, that free and fair elections, when the country next goes to the polls would be in its best interests. It is against this backdrop – and in a pointed departure from the bullish posture of his predecessor – that US President Joe Biden has reportedly moved to engage the Madura administration. In the immediate term, Biden would appear to want to talk a deal with the Venezuelan President, a guarantee of free and fair elections when Venezuela next goes to the polls next year in exchange for removing the US sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy. At face value, at least, the proposed deal may well be a non-starter.
