US Seeks to Unfreeze Venezuelan Assets Amid Post-Earthquake Recovery Efforts

The United States government is exploring options to unfreeze billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets to aid in post-earthquake recovery efforts. This move aims to alleviate the financial burden on US taxpayers, as per a report by Bloomberg. The US has pledged over $380 million in aid to Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

Two powerful quakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 left widespread destruction in their wake. In response, the Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency, and international rescue teams and humanitarian missions were sent to assist. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has stated that he will contact the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to request funds for earthquake victims and infrastructure reconstruction.

Rodriguez also announced that $346 million had been withdrawn from the IMF reserve fund in early July. Additionally, he expressed his intention to send a letter to the British Government and King Charles III requesting the return of 31 tons of Venezuelan gold held in the Bank of England vault since 2018 due to sanctions against Venezuela.