US waives Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump expects to visit

WASHINGTON, Feb 14: US President Donald Trump said Friday he planned to visit Venezuela and reiterated satisfaction with its interim leader, as his administration authorized five major oil companies to operate in the country.

"I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela," Trump told reporters Friday, while adding that the date had not been decided.

The comments followed a visit to Caracas by Trump's energy secretary earlier this week and came as his administration cleared away additional US sanctions that have blocked oil industry investment in the South American country.
On Friday, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted general licenses to BP, Chevron, Eni, Repsol and Shell "authorizing transactions related to oil or gas sector operations in Venezuela," with certain conditions. �"AFP