Switzerland Freezes Assets of Maduro and People Close to Him
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The Swiss government has frozen any assets held in Switzerland by Nicolas Maduro and people close to the Venezuelan president.
The order is to ensure that potentially illegally acquired assets cannot be transferred out of Switzerland, the government said in a statement on Monday. The freeze comes into force with immediate effect and will remain valid for four years, until further notice.
A total of 37 people are currently affected by the freeze, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in an emailed reply to questions. It declined to given any indication as to the value of the assets blocked.
The Swiss government said the freeze comes as Maduro’s loss of power creates the possibility that Venezuela will initiate legal assistance proceedings in future with regard to illegally acquired assets. No members of the current Venezuelan government are affected by the freeze, it said.
The freeze marks the first time Switzerland has adopted sanctions against Maduro and people close to him, it said. The ordinance issued on Monday supplemented the measures against Venezuela adopted in 2018 under the Embargo Act which did not affect Maduro, the Swiss government said.
US troops captured Venezuelan leader Maduro in a raid that sent shock waves around the world and highlighted divisions among governments. America’s allies have a offered a measured response to the stunning late night operation that saw Maduro and his wife whisked from a guarded military base near Caracas to a New York jail.
Switzerland has called for de-escalation, restraint, and compliance with international law, including the prohibition of the use of force and the principle of respect for territorial integrity, the ministry for foreign affairs said in a post on X on Saturday.
(Updates with Swiss foreign ministry comment in third paragraph)
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