Venezuela Seeks To Recover Assets Looted by the US and Colombia

On Wednesday, Venezuela's Economy Minister Tareck El Aissami stated that President Nicolas Maduro’s administration will resort to international law to rescue the assets of the CITGO and Monomeros companies, which were looted by the United States and Colombia.

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“The Bolivarian government has the firm and absolute will to undertake international and national legal actions to rescue both companies. We invoke international law to stop this arbitrariness,” he said.

The Economy Ministry recalled that the former deputy Juan Guaido and other members of the National Assembly in contempt were the ones who allowed the theft of Venezuelan assets.

An example of the misappropriation of public goods occurred at CITGO’s Simon Bolivar Foundation, which was created to provide citizens with specialized medical care abroad.

“This Foundation received funds directly from CITGO. Violating current laws, Guaido ‘designated’ Mariela Poleo as its ‘President’. Thus they appropriated millions of dollars destined for Venezuelan patients abroad,” the Venezuelan Minister recalled.

The transfer of Venezuelan assets to foreign governments occurred through people who gave themselves public functions they did not have. Currently, the Bolivarian justice processes Luis Pacheco, Claudio Martinez, Leon Miura, Maria Lizardo, Julian Cardenas, and Alejandro Grissanti, for the crime of usurpation of functions. All these citizens, however, have fled the country.

“We denounce these operations as illegitimate and contrary to the national and international legal order. Venezuela has never participated in activities that were carried out without the consent of the legitimate Bolivarian government,” El Aissami stressed.