The decision took effect on the day of publication and will remain in force “until further notice” for four years.
“If future legal proceedings reveal that the funds are of illicit origin, Switzerland will make every effort to ensure that they benefit the people of Venezuela,” the authorities said in a statement.
Note that Switzerland has already imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2018. The decision to block assets was an addition to the Swiss sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic, in force since March 2018. In particular, the assets of seven Venezuelan ministers and other high-ranking officials were frozen then. They were also banned from entering the country.
The US authorities brought Maduro formal charges of “narco-terrorism”, weapons possession and trafficking in Venezuelan diplomatic passports. In particular, the politician is accused of being the head of the criminal group Cartel de los Soles, previously declared a terrorist group in the U.S., as well as that he, along with his wife, son and associates, participated in a conspiracy with Colombian groups involved in the production and transportation of cocaine. The former Venezuelan ruler denies these charges, calling them a cover-up to gain access to the country’s oil reserves.
Thus, yesterday, January 5, Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in New York. The next hearing is scheduled for March 17, until then the couple will remain in custody.
