The Swiss Federal Council has frozen assets worth 687 million Swiss francs (around 888 million dollars) belonging to former President Nicolás Maduro and his inner circle. This measure, taken by the Swiss government on Monday, aims to prevent the loss of these assets following the detention of the former Chavist leader on January 3 and his subsequent transfer to the United States, where he faces charges of drug trafficking and corruption. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated that the multi-million dollar holding will remain frozen until the conclusion of the investigations by the American justice system. In this sense, the objective is 'to ensure that the funds under suspicion do not leave the Swiss financial system, which would protect the integrity of these resources while verifying the legality of their origin,' explained an official spokesperson. Two-thirds of these assets were already frozen before Maduro's detention, within the framework of criminal proceedings in Switzerland, but after his arrest, an additional 239 million Swiss francs (309 million dollars) were blocked. If the illicit origin of this fortune is confirmed, Switzerland would proceed to refund the assets to the Caribbean country, 'for the benefit' of the Venezuelan people. According to the Argentine News Agency, the decision is based on the Federal Law on the Freezing and Restitution of Illicit Assets in the Possession of Politically Exposed Persons Abroad (FIAA).
