An empty electoral agreement in Venezuela – WSJ

Venezuela signed its political agreement with the democratic opposition on Tuesday and, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t contain much. There is no release of political prisoners, no guarantee of restoring the right of opposition candidates to run for president next year, and no way to guarantee the independence of electoral institutions.

Officials disclosed to reporters Monday that the Biden administration plans to use the deal to justify sanctions relief. But a joint statement Wednesday from the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada acknowledged that the document is only “a necessary step in continuing a process of inclusive dialogue and restoring of democracy in Venezuela. Translation: Speak, speak, speak. But on Wednesday evening, a senior U.S. official announced that the United States “is in the process of providing limited sanctions relief, primarily in the oil and gas sector.”