The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a general license on 25 June 2026 authorising all transactions related to earthquake relief in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited under the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations. The license, valid until 23 October 2026, follows two powerful earthquakes—magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5—that struck the country’s northern coast on the night of 24 June, causing widespread destruction. Official casualty figures range from 235 to 589 dead, with more than 4,300 injured, and unofficial citizen-led platforms report over 50,000 people missing, though the government has not confirmed that number.

From Washington, the State Department and Treasury presented the measure as a targeted humanitarian exemption rather than a relaxation of the sanctions architecture. The OFAC notice explicitly states that the license does not authorise the unblocking of frozen assets or any transactions prohibited by other executive orders. Concurrently, the US announced $150 million in assistance—$100 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Venezuela and $50 million for on-the-ground operations—and deployed military assets, including the deputy commander of US Southern Command, Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard, to coordinate relief efforts after a formal request from Caracas. The interim Venezuelan government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency and publicly thanked President Trump for his solidarity.

The temporary waiver allows international financial institutions and aid organisations to move funds into Venezuela without fear of triggering secondary sanctions, but it leaves the broader coercive framework intact. European and Latin American diplomatic sources note that the license is a pragmatic acknowledgment of the humanitarian crisis while preserving the leverage Washington has built since 2017, when it first imposed sweeping financial restrictions on the Nicolás Maduro government. The capture of Maduro by US forces in January 2026 and the installation of an interim administration under Rodríguez had already prompted a handful of limited oil-sector licenses; this humanitarian waiver extends that pattern of calibrated engagement without lifting the underlying economic embargo.

International rescue teams from Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and several European nations have begun arriving in the worst-hit state of La Guaira, where hospitals are overwhelmed and heavy equipment is scarce. The US license expires on 23 October 2026, and any extension would require a new determination from OFAC. The death toll is expected to rise as search-and-rescue operations continue, and the UN is coordinating the distribution of newly pledged funds. The sanctions relief, while narrow, is likely to face scrutiny from US lawmakers who have long advocated maximum pressure on Caracas, even as humanitarian imperatives drive a temporary opening.