Sanctions on Venezuela have been in place for about 20 years in the U.S. case, with the first U.S. measures dating to 2005. Broader sanctions from the EU and UK have been in place since 2017 , so the exact answer depends on which country’s sanctions you mean.

Quick scoop

  • U.S. sanctions: began in 2005 and expanded significantly in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
  • EU sanctions: began in 2017.
  • UK sanctions: also date to 2019 in their current framework.
  • UN sanctions: there are no UN sanctions on Venezuela.

Plain-English answer

If someone says “sanctions on Venezuela,” they usually mean the U.S. sanctions , which have existed for roughly two decades now. If they mean the wider international sanctions picture, then the major European measures are newer and started in 2017.

Timeline

  1. 2005 : First U.S. sanctions begin.
  1. 2015 : U.S. sanctions targeting individuals tied to abuses and corruption expand.
  1. 2017 : EU sanctions begin, and the U.S. increases pressure on Maduro-era officials.
  1. 2018–2019 : U.S. financial and oil-related restrictions tighten further.

Bottom line

So the shortest accurate answer is: Venezuela has faced sanctions for 20 years from the U.S., and for about 9 years from the EU and UK.