Maria Corina Machado, the most prominent figure in the country’s opposition movement, argued the measures are needed to stop government repression.

Since it first imposed sanctions on Venezuela's energy sector in 2019, the United States has granted individual licenses to some oil companies that allow them to export the South American country's oil to specific destinations.

US President Donald Trump says he will revoke a license which allowed Venezuela to export some of its oil to the US despite sanctions. The move is a major blow to the Venezuelan government as the license provided it, through joint ventures between the state-run oil company and US oil giant Chevron, with a crucial income in dollars.