Key Facts
—Who. Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez, was removed from the US sanctions list.
—What. The US Treasury deleted the name variants of Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The list names people whose US assets are frozen.
—Where. The action covers the Venezuela sanctions programme and applies to assets under US jurisdiction.
—When. Wednesday 14 October 2026. He had been sanctioned on 25 September 2018.
—Prediction markets. Kalshi, a US exchange regulated by the CFTC, prices Delcy Rodríguez at 88% to lead Venezuela at the end of 2026, and Polymarket has her at 93.5% (14 October 2026, about 11:10 ET).
—As of 14 October 2026, 15:30 GMT
The US Treasury on Wednesday 14 October 2026 removed Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, from its sanctions list. The move by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which enforces US sanctions, means American companies and individuals can now deal with the brother of Venezuela’s acting president.
For US readers, it is the clearest sign yet that Washington is unwinding the sanctions it built around Nicolás Maduro’s circle. Investors, oil companies and travellers watch such lists closely because they decide who can be paid, hired or hosted.
What We Know
OFAC’s recent actions page for 14 October lists a “Venezuela-related Designation Removal” for Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez. The name variants were deleted from the SDN list under the VENEZUELA programme tag.
OFAC gave no reasons for the decision. Venezuelan outlets such as El Nacional also noted that the Treasury did not explain it.
Rodríguez, born on 9 November 1965, has led the National Assembly since 2021 and was re-elected to the post in January 2026. He is a former communications minister and is the brother of Delcy Rodríguez, who now serves as acting president.
The US first sanctioned him on 25 September 2018 as part of a package aimed at Maduro loyalists. The same package hit Delcy Rodríguez, Cilia Flores and Vladimir Padrino López.
Delcy Rodríguez was herself removed from the SDN list on 1 April 2026. Maduro and Flores were captured earlier this year and are awaiting trial in New York.
What the Removal Changes
Removal generally unblocks any of his assets that sit under US jurisdiction. It also generally lets US persons, such as banks, firms and lawyers, deal with him without breaking sanctions law.
Local outlets such as El Nacional and NTN24 stress that delisting does not automatically lift other restrictions, such as US visa or travel bans. Those fall under separate rules and have not been addressed in the OFAC notice.
Rodríguez has been the Venezuelan government’s chief negotiator with Washington. Taking him off the list removes a legal obstacle from talks that already run through him.
For background on who holds power in Caracas, see our explainer on who holds power after Maduro. Our guide to who runs Venezuela’s economy covers the officials US firms would deal with.
Earlier moves also pointed in this direction, as we reported when the US eased and tightened Venezuela sanctions in one move. More coverage is in our Venezuela section.
What Is Not Known
OFAC has not said why it acted on 14 October. Nothing in the public notice shows whether a licence or other conditions come with the removal.
It is also unclear whether his US visa restrictions remain in place. We have not seen a reaction from the US government or from Caracas.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Kalshi, a US exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the market on who will de facto lead Venezuela at the end of 2026 gives Delcy Rodríguez 88%. Maduro stands at 6%, Padrino López and Diosdado Cabello at 2% each, and Jorge Rodríguez and Edmundo González Urrutia at 1% each.
That Kalshi market had 37,130 contracts traded as of 14 October 2026, about 11:10 ET. On Polymarket, “Venezuela de facto leader end of 2026?” has Delcy Rodríguez at 93.5%, with US$409,856 traded.
These prices are bets, not polls, and each percentage is the market’s implied probability. We do not know how much of the current pricing reflects today’s OFAC news.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
The removal suggests that US sanctions policy on Venezuela is being eased person by person. It follows the April delisting of Delcy Rodríguez, his sister.
US persons can now legally deal with Rodríguez, which matters for companies negotiating over oil, debt or licences. Anyone planning such talks should still check the OFAC notice and take legal advice.
Visa status is the open point for travellers and officials. Until Washington clarifies it, a sanctions delisting should not be read as a promise of a US entry permit.
Markets currently see Delcy Rodríguez, not her brother, as the likely leader at the end of 2026. The delisting therefore reads more as a change in access to a key negotiator than a change in who rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jorge Rodríguez?
He is president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, a post he has held since 2021 and kept after the January 2026 vote, and a former communications minister. He is also the brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez.
What did OFAC do on 14 October 2026?
OFAC removed Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez from its Specially Designated Nationals list under the VENEZUELA programme. The name variants were deleted, and no reasons were given.
Can US companies now deal with him?
Generally yes: removal unblocks his assets under US jurisdiction and lets US persons deal with him. Other restrictions, such as visa or travel bans, are not automatically lifted, according to local media.
Why was he sanctioned in the first place?
The US sanctioned him on 25 September 2018 as part of a package aimed at loyalists of Nicolás Maduro. Delcy Rodríguez, Cilia Flores and Vladimir Padrino López were named in the same package.
Sources
US Treasury OFAC, recent actions, 14 October 2026 · El Nacional · Efecto Cocuyo · NTN24 · Kalshi · Polymarket
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief