GUAIDO SNATCHES FROZEN VENEZUELA ASSETS TO BATTLE MADURO

More than $300 million in seized Venezuelan public funds will be channeled to pay National Assembly politicians, private healthcare workers and multilateral bodies providing COVID-19 "humanitarian" assistance as well as subverting the Nicolas Maduro regime, teleSUR reported on August 22, 2020.

With the move, the US government, which along with Canada and numerous EU countries, has seized up to $24 billion in Venezuelan government assets since early 2019, is seeking new momentum in its elusive goal of ousting Venezuela's democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro.

Despite openly distancing itself from opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó over multiple failed coup attempts and embezzlement scandals, the Trump administration, in coordination with the Organization of American States (OAS), has granted a special license to begin initiating monthly payments of $100 to over 65,000 private health sector workers, as well two years of back pay to opposition lawmakers, the Washington Post reported.

The majority of these stolen funds held by the U.S. Justice and Treasury departments in special forfeiture accounts, $601 million has already been diverted to fund Trump's border wall with Mexico partially. Remaining funds, belonging to the Venezuelan government, its Central Bank (BCV) and PDVSA's US subsidiary, Citgo, have been siphoned off to fund the Venezuelan opposition, sent to Guaido's diplomatic staff worldwide and, in the case of a BCV Citibank account, a total of $342 million was transferred to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Post also reports that the Trump administration plans to close a sanctions loophole that allows other countries to ship fuel to Venezuela, namely Iran, whose recent shipments have proven crucial given the impacts of the US blockade and oil sanctions on the Venezuelan economy and people.