ZURICH: Switzerland has ordered the freezing of assets held in the country by Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his close associates, days after his arrest by U.S. forces in Caracas and subsequent transfer to the United States, Swiss authorities confirmed on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry said the measure applies to 37 individuals classified as foreign politically exposed persons. The authorities declined to disclose the value of the frozen assets, citing legal and procedural constraints.
Bern emphasized that the action does not target members of Venezuela’s current government. Any funds determined to have been illicitly acquired will be safeguarded with the intention of eventually returning them for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
Describing the situation in Venezuela as highly volatile, the Swiss government said multiple political scenarios could unfold in the coming days and weeks. It called for restraint and de-escalation, while offering Switzerland’s diplomatic good offices to support a peaceful resolution.
“The Federal Council aims to ensure that potentially illicit assets cannot be moved out of Switzerland under the present circumstances,” the government said, stressing that the freeze is a precautionary step rather than a punitive judgment.
-Kirsti Hirt
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