US explores access to Venezuela’s mineral sector
The US is exploring ways to increase its access to Venezuela’s minerals, including gold, as part of a broader effort to expand involvement in the country’s resource sectors. Options under review include a draft executive order on critical minerals, and the Treasury Department has issued authorisations for transactions involving Venezuelan gold and other minerals. The effort is part of a wider strategy to align Venezuela’s resources with Washington’s interests and counter Chinese influence in Latin America.
Why it matters: This bears on the briefing theme of critical minerals and resource competition in Latin America.