US Government seizes $7 billion in Venezuelan assets

Washington has imposed sanctions against the Venezuelan state oil company PdVSA, seizing $7 billion in assets, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. The USA is trying to force recognition of Juan Guaido as president in Caracas.

In addition to $7 billion in Citgo assets in the USA, the sanctions will affect $11 billion worth of exports over 2019.

Citgo will continue operating in the USA, but all profits from its sales will have to go into a blocked account, which will only be made available to Guaido’s government, the Treasury secretary explained.

Speaking in Caracas on Monday evening, Maduro called the US sanctions an attempt to “steal” Citgo from Venezuela, and announced that PdVSA will begin legal action to protect the state oil company.

Maduro also vowed a “symmetrical response” to US measures in the immediate future, to “protect the interests of Venezuela.”

As part of the ongoing push to oust Maduro and replace him with Guaido, the Bank of England has already refused to release $1.2 billion worth of Venezuelan gold to Caracas.

Parallel to US recognition of Guaido, several European countries have also demanded Maduro call a new election within a week.

Over the weekend, the USA called a special session of the UN Security Council on the situation in Venezuela, claiming it represented a threat to international security.

The strategy, and the “unethical ploy” by Washington to involve the international body in its regime change campaign.

The dire economic situation in Venezuela was caused by “discriminatory economic measures” taken by the USA and IMF, advocated by the very people “who are now crying about the suffering” of Venezuelans?

RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2019.