While Nicolás Maduro’s regime promotes the narrative that “sanctions are lifting,” the United States is responding with precision, not broad strokes. The recent General License No. 40D, issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Treasury Department, proves this: it allows the entry of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into Venezuela under specific conditions, while keeping the sanctioning apparatus intact against the regime and PDVSA.
What does License 40D permit?
This license authorizes, until September 5, 2025, the necessary transactions for the delivery and unloading of LPG in Venezuela, even if they involve PDVSA or the Venezuelan Government. But be careful: the gas must have been loaded before July 7, 2025.
The objective is clear: to provide access to an essential resource for the population —like cooking gas— without financially empowering the regime.
What does it not allow?
This is not a free trade license. License 40D has strict limits:
❌ No payments in kind allowed (neither in oil nor its derivatives).
❌ Transactions with blocked persons are not authorized, except for specific exceptions (like PDVSA and entities where it has 50% or more participation).
❌ It does not replace other regulations: participants must continue to comply with the regulations from the Department of Commerce (BIS), among others.
Additionally, this license replaces the 40C (issued in July 2024), indicating that Washington continues to adjust its strategy with surgical precision.
What is the goal of the U.S.?
The U.S. administration is not lifting sanctions. It is executing a policy of calibrated pressure:
Allowing essential resources to mitigate humanitarian suffering.
Without permitting the regime to use these channels to launder money, negotiate crude oil, or break the financial blockade.
Who can benefit?
Foreign companies with logistical capabilities to transport LPG.
Humanitarian actors aiming to ensure access to gas in hospitals, vulnerable communities, or rural areas.
Logistics consortia operating within the U.S. legal framework.
But not the regime. Maduro’s government cannot use this license to receive payments, oil, investments, or favors in return. Nor can it expand its economic influence through it.
So, are the sanctions still in place?
Yes. The Executive Order 13884 and other sanctioning orders against Venezuela remain fully active. The OFAC has not lifted or modified the structural regime of sanctions. This license is a specific and temporary exception, not a political concession.
In summary
The License 40D allows LPG delivery, not doing business with the regime.
It is designed to alleviate the population’s struggles, not to reward those responsible for the crisis.
The sanctioning framework remains firm, albeit with carefully monitored humanitarian doors.
Why does it matter?
Because the regime will use this measure to sell propaganda: “They are lifting our sanctions!”. But the reality is different: the international community is not easing the pressure, it only prevents those at the bottom from getting burned by the fire.