Caracas Chronicles

Perhaps you remember U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu from Louisiana?

You know, the one who blocked the bill to impose sanctions to certain members of the Venezuelan government because Citgo asked her to do so back in August?

Well, she lost her re-election bid this weekend to Congressman Bill Cassidy. She lost badly. After 18 years, she will leave Congress on January 3rd.

Putting schadenfreude aside, what does this mean for the proposed sanctions bill? With the holidays, there is not much the current Congress can do, and it’s not like Landrieu will have time to lift her hold on the bill – a lady’s got packing to do!

It will be to the new Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as Republicans will control the Senate (both chambers of Congress, actually).

The only hope for chavismo is the possibility of a presidential veto. It looks like the Obama administration is preferring to find a compromise, with the condition that the proposed sanctions don’t affect the Venezuelan people. The main proponent of the bill, fellow Senator Marco Rubio (Republican from Florida) is already pushing for the revival of the bill. In the meantime, Maduro is adopting a harsh tone with regards to the US. The approval of the sanctions bill could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Regardless, we here get a little bit of satisfaction from knowing that Citgo … will simply have to find another Senator to work with.