Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Business

US extends protection of Venezuelan oil unit Citgo

Citgo is the US subsidiary of the troubled Venezuelan state owned oil company PDVSA
Citgo is the US subsidiary of the troubled Venezuelan state owned oil company PDVSA - Copyright AFP Fabrice COFFRINI
Citgo is the US subsidiary of the troubled Venezuelan state owned oil company PDVSA - Copyright AFP Fabrice COFFRINI

The US Treasury on Thursday extended by one year a rule that shields Citgo, a US-based unit of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA, from being seized by creditors, the department said.

The Houston-based company has been controlled by parties opposed to the government of President Nicolas Maduro since early 2019, when US sanctions against PDVSA took effect.

Citgo had been used by the government as collateral in various loans. It was also designated as an asset to offset defaults in cases decided in international and US courts.

Now, as part of the sanctions against PDVSA, the Treasury has extended by a year a decree which bars Citgo from being sold off to creditors.

The administration of then-president Donald Trump handed control of Citgo to opposition leader Juan Guaido in 2019 after recognizing him as his country’s interim president following elections in which Maduro won another term amid allegations of fraud.

President Joe Biden still backs Guaido.

Oil-rich Venezuela’s economy is crumbling under the rule of leftist Maduro and millions have fled the country. The US has imposed punishing sanctions on the government to choke off access to cash from oil exports.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Social Media

French President Macron has posted  artificial intelligence-generated fake videos that he features in as he promoted a technology summit.

Business

"We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse..

Entertainment

Actor and filmmaker Tyler Gallant chatted about his future projects, the digital age, and his career in the entertainment business.

Entertainment

On Sunday, February 9th, Grammy-nominated singer and actor Brent Comer (of the Tony award-winning Broadway musical "The Outsiders") headlined 54 Below in New York...