Overview
- The order took effect on Jan. 5 with immediate force and is scheduled to remain in place for four years.
- A Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesperson said 37 people are covered, with no details provided on the value of the assets.
- The measure excludes members of the current Venezuelan government and targets individuals not previously sanctioned in Switzerland.
- Authorities invoked the Federal Act on the Freezing and the Restitution of Illicit Assets for foreign politically exposed persons, adding to sanctions first imposed in 2018.
- Switzerland linked the decision to Maduro’s seizure in Caracas by U.S. forces and transfer to New York on narcotrafficking charges, and it urged de-escalation while offering its good offices.