Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Monday, the US Department of the Treasury announced a temporary relaxation of specific financial oversight enforcement to allegedly allow US institutions to facilitate authorized transactions related to post-earthquake economic recovery and humanitarian relief in Venezuela.The policy statement establishes that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) will suspend supervisory and enforcement actions against financial institutions offering authorized services in Venezuela between July 27, 2026, and January 29, 2027.FINCEN, la llamada Red de Control Financiero de EE.UU., anuncia que ha decidido "relajar" hasta enero de 2027 la supervisión sobre las operaciones financieras con el Gobierno de Venezuela, vigentes mediante dos ALERTAS emitidas en 2017 y 2019. En 2017, FINCEN dijo que "le… pic.twitter.com/7YIt536JXa— William Castillo Bollé (@planwac) July 28, 2026The decision is framed as an effort to make it easier for US banks and financial entities to process transactions for disaster relief, reconstruction, and economic assistance without fear of regulatory action linked to overcompliance.Many political analysts argue that US plans to transform Venezuela into a primary oil provider for US strategic interests were disrupted by the catastrophic June 24 double earthquake, prompting Washington to seek temporary measures to ease the self-inflicted impacts after years of economic sanctions.Despite the enforcement suspension, the US Treasury clarified that financial institutions must maintain anti-money laundering compliance programs and continue to adhere to active US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.“Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued multiple sanctions-related authorizations intended to support economic recovery and earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela…,” reads the core section of the imperialist statement. “FinCEN recognizes that, in supporting Venezuela’s economic recovery and earthquake relief efforts, US financial institutions may encounter challenges ensuring compliance with their obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act,1 the USA PATRIOT Act, 2 other statutes administered by FinCEN, and related implementing regulations … Consistent with Treasury’s policies underlying GL 60 and GL 57, and except as provided below, FinCEN hereby commits to not take any supervisory action, including citing a violation of law, or pursue any enforcement action against any U.S. financial institution related to BSA Requirements as a result of providing authorized financial services in Venezuela. This commitment shall apply to financial services provided by a U.S. financial institution to persons or entities in Venezuela from July 27, 2026, through January 29, 2027.”Anti-blockade deputy minister respondsOn Tuesday, Venezuelan Anti-Blockade Deputy Minister William Castillo published a detailed response analyzing Washington’s decision. Castillo noted that while the statement implicitly acknowledges the problem of overcompliance that has plagued Venezuela for nearly a decade, temporary relief measures will not deliver meaningful long-term economic recovery.Castillo stated:FINCEN, the so-called U.S. Financial Control Network, announces that it has decided to “relax” until January 2027 the oversight on financial operations with the government of Venezuela, which were in effect through two “alerts” issued in 2017 and 2019.Immediately [after the first alert], international banks began closing correspondent banking relationships that served as channels for the country’s foreign trade (payments and collections); they froze accounts, assets, and paralyzed public financial operations. Fundamentally paralyzed were ongoing operations for purchasing medicines, vaccines, food, seeds, services, and PDVSA operations, among others.In 2019, FINCEN expanded and reinforced with a second “alert”, and this time it targeted the CLAP. And just like that, came the second claw strike.FINCEN’s “alerts” initiated what Anti-Blockade Observatory calls the “invisible blockade” through so-called overcompliance. That is, there’s no need to sanction you directly; I just say I’m going to monitor everyone who transacts anything in the financial system with you, so that immediately all the banks get scared off. We already know it: because there’s nothing more cowardly than a dollar.By 2019, we had already identified 41 international banks that froze Venezuela’s money. The largest among them, Portugal’s Novo Banco, which ended up freezing 1.3 billion euros. Of those resources, at least until the pandemic, we didn’t see a dime.FINCEN imposed the financial blockade on Venezuela “by pressing a button,” and that meant our de facto exit from the banking correspondent system, SWIFT.Today, they are relaxing for a few months this draconian system with the argument that they want to support reconstruction and the flow of humanitarian aid resources to Venezuela. As if reconstruction ended on December 31.Heads up: I don’t doubt that at least in the coming months, important funds can be channeled to the country and its needs without fear of sanctions (which remain in effect).Venezuela cannot live on temporary permits and licenses. The Venezuelan people demand and need the blockade to be lifted entirely and for us to fully recover all our economic rights.Venezuela Establishes Infrastructure Repair Protocols and Launches Popular Reconstruction BrigadesSeveral foreign analysts have questioned the Venezuelan government’s pragmatic approach toward Washington following the January 3 US aggression and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. However, Chavista analysts point out that few external observers fully grasp the reality of nearly a decade of coercive sanctions, ongoing external aggression, and regional diplomatic isolation. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SL