Spain’s government said the U.S. isn’t mulling any measures against Madrid for its financial and diplomatic ties with Venezuela.
The Foreign Ministry said it had been in contact with U.S. officials in Washington as well as the U.S. Embassy in Madrid after a Bloomberg News story Thursday that said some officials in the Trump administration are pushing for financial sanctions against Spain.
The officials in the U.S. Treasury Department are considering measures against Spain’s central bank and other entities where money from Venezuela is parked, according to people familiar with the matter. Other U.S. officials, however, said they opposed such a move against an ally such as Spain, a sign that there are divisions about any potential action.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that after conversations with U.S. officials, Madrid “is in a position to deny that such measures have been considered.”
“Spain and the U.S. maintain a close and fluid relationship and continue to work together toward the common interest of both nations,” it said. “Such collaboration is also clear in the case of Venezuela, where both countries are committed to a prompt resolution to the situation the country is going through.”
