By José Manuel Blanco Díaz on February 1, 2022
US Congress, photo: Bill Hackwell
It would seem that the US government is looking to open a new chapter in its escalation of aggression towards Venezuela with the possible implementation of the PANA Act, which the US would use to further justify its looting of Venezuelan resources and assets.
Recently, it was reported that a law had been proposed, the Preserving Accountability for National Assets Act of 2021. The act is essentially a legal framework justified in Washington through the discourse of anti-corruption. Thus it would supposedly “protect” money and property which corrupt officials hold in the US.
Representative Charlie Crist, a democrat, commented that he plans on proposing the PANA Act very soon. Yet, it should be noted that the very same act was already being considered by senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as early as April 2021. However, what is most alarming about this proposal is that the congressmen in question insist on applying the act solely to Chavista officials who supposedly have financial interests on US soil.
Who stole the assets?
What the US congressmen fail to mention is that over the last few months it has become ever more apparent that it is the far-right factions, led by Juan Guaidó, who are the ones actively stealing assets which rightfully belong to the Venezuelan people.
Not surprisingly, it has also been demonstrated that these acts of corruption have had the full support of the White House as in, for example, the case of the Venezuelan-owned US gas company CITGO, and the Colombia-based, Venezuelan-owned company Monómeros.
According to documents provided by the Venezuelan National Assembly at the beginning of 2022, the amount stolen so far by Juan Guaidó and his entourage is estimated at $3.1 billion. This estimate includes tangible resources which belong to the Venezuelan people, as well as all of the money which has been plundered through “humanitarian aid.” All of this activity has been sanctioned by the US.
Interestingly, condemnation of this corruption has also come from sectors of the opposition who have denounced that the self-proclaimed “interim president” has even managed to divert $7 million of monthly funds in order to pay the officials in his puppet government. Gloria Pinho, former opposition candidate for mayor of Chacao, complained about Guaidó’s corruption early in January, for example.
Source: redradiove, translation Orinoco Tribune