FLASH NEWS
Switzerland freezes $880 million of Maduro's assets
2026-02-24 20:26:42 / BOTA
Switzerland has decided to freeze any assets that may be on its territory in the name of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, following his arrest and drug trafficking charges by the United States. The measure was adopted as a preventive measure to avoid the possible transfer of funds abroad and also affects dozens of other people from his circle.
According to international reports, more than $880 million is suspected to be blocked in Switzerland, although authorities have not publicly confirmed specific amounts of assets.
The measures are not an isolated decision. Since 2018, Switzerland has aligned its policy with European sanctions on Venezuela, including bans on military equipment and the imposition of asset freezes and travel bans on regime officials.
Under the Swiss legal framework, the funds of politically exposed persons can be frozen, confiscated and eventually returned to their legitimate owners if there is a risk that they will be transferred abroad or be the product of criminal activities.
Experts point out that holding funds linked to Maduro has been practically prohibited for years and that the latest announcement does not necessarily represent a new sanction, but a mechanism to be ready for possible requests for legal assistance from other states.
The decision is directly related to recent legal developments in the US, as Swiss authorities aim to ensure that any potential assets remain frozen until there is legal clarity on their origin.
If the funds are proven to be illegal, Switzerland can negotiate a return agreement with another country, provided that the money is used in the interest of the population and is not returned to channels of corruption, a practice the country has followed for decades in similar cases involving the assets of authoritarian regimes.
In the absence of a stabilized government in Venezuela, the most likely scenario, according to experts, remains that the assets will remain blocked for a long period, as there is no clear legal basis for their transfer to the US.
In practice, the fact that a leader may have assets in Swiss banks does not automatically mean that they are illegal, but the freeze aims to guarantee transparency and control until the legal processes are completed.
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