If it is proven that the assets were acquired illicitly, Switzerland plans to return them for the benefit of the Venezuelan population.
By EFE (Efecto Cocuyo)
HAVANA TIMES — Switzerland has blocked Venezuelan assets worth 687 million francs (about 887 million dollars), a third of which were frozen following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation, the Swiss national news agency ATS reported, citing data from that country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Two-thirds had already been frozen prior to that detention, within the framework of criminal proceedings in Switzerland, but after Maduro’s capture an additional 239 million francs (308 million dollars) have been blocked.
On January 5, Swiss authorities ordered the freezing of the assets of Nicolas Maduro and his associates in the country, although those frozen earlier also belonged to the circle around Maduro, ATS clarified.
The freeze at the beginning of the year was ordered as a “precautionary measure” in light of the “volatile situation” created after the arrest of the Venezuelan president on January 3rd.
According to Swiss authorities, no member of Venezuela’s current government is affected by this asset freeze.
If it is proven that the assets were acquired illicitly, Switzerland plans to return them for the benefit of the Venezuelan population, the European country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in January.
Swiss federal law provides for the freezing of assets belonging to foreign “politically exposed” persons when there are reasons to assume they were obtained through corruption, criminal mismanagement, or other serious crimes.
Published in Spanish by Efecto Cocuyo and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.
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