{
  "id": 2622637,
  "title": "US Eases Venezuela Telecom Sanctions With General Licence 61",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/us-eases-venezuela-telecom-sanctions-with-general-licence-61",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-22T18:07:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/us-eases-venezuela-telecom-sanctions-with-general-licence-61/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States has eased Venezuela's telecom sanctions with the issuance of General Licence 61 by the Treasury’s sanctions office, OFAC. The licence, effective on August 21, 2026, authorises the supply of telecom goods and services to Venezuela, including the installation, maintenance, refurbishment, repair, upgrade, operation, and support of telecommunications. This licence covers entities such as Conatel, the telecoms regulator, Cantv, the state telephone company, and Movilnet, the mobile arm of Cantv. Specific legal conditions apply for contracts with the Government of Venezuela, with terms governed by US law and dispute resolution in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, or Singapore. However, General Licence 61 does not permit new investment in the telecom sector; that is addressed separately by General Licence 62, which allows contingent contracts for new investment. The licence does not cover the actual spending, which remains prohibited under the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations. This targeted easing is aimed at facilitating the supply of essential telecom services while maintaining oversight, though the broader sanctions programme remains unchanged.",
  "summary": "The US Treasury's OFAC issued General Licence 61 on 21 August 2026, easing telecom sanctions on Venezuela. The licence allows supply of telecom goods and services, but new investment is not included. The post US Eases Venezuela Telecom Sanctions With General Licence 61 appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [
    "US eases Venezuela telecom sanctions via General Licence 61",
    "Effective August 21, 2026, for telecom goods and services",
    "Covers Conatel, Cantv, and Movilnet, but no new investment"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}