To balance economic sanctions with humanitarian aid to Venezuela, Trump’s administration should consider a more nuanced approach that addresses both political and humanitarian concerns. Here are some key strategies:

Targeted Sanctions

Instead of broad economic sanctions, Trump should focus on:

• Maintaining targeted sanctions on Maduro and key regime officials

• Freezing assets of individuals directly involved in human rights abuses, drug trafficking, and terrorism

This approach would maintain pressure on the regime while minimizing the impact on ordinary Venezuelans.

Humanitarian Aid Expansion

Trump should prioritize increasing humanitarian assistance by:

• Expanding on current humanitarian aid efforts

• Working with international organizations to manage aid distribution, similar to the $3 billion deal reached in November 2022

• Focusing on essential areas such as food, health, protection, nutrition, and education

Sanctions Relief for Humanitarian Purposes

The administration should consider:

• Easing restrictions on financial transactions related to humanitarian aid

• Implementing an oil-for-essentials program, allowing Venezuela to use oil revenue for basic goods like food and medicine

• Expanding the recent easing of oil sanctions to allow Venezuela to pay down other government debts

Multilateral Cooperation

Trump should engage with:

• Regional allies and international organizations to coordinate aid efforts

• The UN and other neutral parties to manage aid distribution and ensure it reaches those in need

Reassess Sanctions Impact

The administration should:

• Conduct a detailed analysis of sanctions’ effectiveness and humanitarian impact

• Consider rolling back expanded sanctions introduced during Trump’s previous term if they are found to be ineffective or excessively harmful

Conditional Engagement

Trump could:

• Offer gradual sanctions relief in exchange for verifiable democratic reforms and improvements in human rights

• Support international mediation efforts to facilitate dialogue between Maduro and the opposition

By implementing these strategies, Trump can work towards a more balanced approach that maintains pressure on the Maduro regime while addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of the Venezuelan people. This approach recognizes that broad economic sanctions have had severe unintended consequences on the population and aims to mitigate these effects while still pursuing policy goals.