U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

49–011 2015

114th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 114–16 

BLOCKING PROPERTY AND SUSPENDING ENTRY OF 

CERTAIN PERSONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA 

COMMUNICATION 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

NOTIFICATION THAT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS ISSUED DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE UNUSUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY THREAT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES POSED BY 

THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1701 

ET SEQ 

MARCH 10, 2015.—Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

ordered to be printed 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOCE:\Seals\Congress.#13

smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
(1) 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, March 8, 2015. 

Hon. JOHN BOEHNER, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the ‘‘order’’) declaring 

a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the 

United States posed by the situation in Venezuela. The order does 

not target the people of Venezuela, but rather is aimed at persons 

involved in or responsible for the erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press freedoms, use of violence and human rights violations and abuses in 

response to antigovernment protests, and arbitrary arrest and detention of antigovernment protestors, as well as the exacerbating 

presence of significant public corruption in that country. In addition to taking action under IEEPA, the order implements the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014 

(Public Law 113–278) (the ‘‘Act’’), which I signed on December 18, 

2014, and delegates certain of its authorities. 

The order blocks the property and interests in property of persons listed in an Annex to the order and would block the property 

and interests in property of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State: 

• to be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or to have participated in, directly or indirectly, any of the following in or in relation to Venezuela: 

» actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions; 

» significant acts of violence or conduct that constitutes 

a serious abuse or violation of human rights, including 

against persons involved in antigovernment protests in 

Venezuela in or since February 2014; 

» actions that prohibit, limit, or penalize the exercise of 

freedom of expression or peaceful assembly; or 

» public corruption by senior officials within the Government of Venezuela; 

• to be a current or former leader of an entity that has, or 

whose members have, engaged in any activity described in the 

order or of an entity whose property and interests in property 

are blocked pursuant to the order; 

• to be a current or former official of the Government of 

Venezuela; 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
2 

• to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services 

to or in support of: » a person whose property and interests in property are 

blocked pursuant to the order; or » an activity described in the order; or • to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported 

to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person 

whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant 

to the order. 

In addition, the order suspends entry into the United States of 

any alien listed in the Annex or determined to meet one or more 

of the above criteria. 

I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA and relevant provisions of the Act as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of 

the order, other than the provision suspending entry into the 

United States of certain aliens, and to carry out the related provisions of the Act. I have delegated to the Secretary of State the authority to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules 

and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President 

by IEEPA and relevant provisions of the Act as may be necessary 

to carry out the provision of the order and the Act suspending 

entry into the United States of certain aliens and the authority to 

issue waivers under the Act. All executive agencies are directed to 

take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out 

the provisions of the order. 

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. 

Sincerely, 

BARACK OBAMA. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
(3) 

EXECUTIVE ORDER

BLOCKING PROPERTY AND SUSPENDING ENTRY OF CERTAIN PERSONS

CONTRIBUTING TO THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) 

(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) 

(NEA), the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society 

Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–278) (the ‘‘Venezuela Defense of 

Human Rights Act’’) (the ‘‘Act’’), section 212(f) of the Immigration 

and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)) (INA), and section 

301 of title 3, United States Code, 

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, 

find that the situation in Venezuela, including the Government of 

Venezuela’s erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press freedoms, use of violence and 

human rights violations and abuses in response to antigovernment 

protests, and arbitrary arrest and detention of antigovernment 

protestors, as well as the exacerbating presence of significant public corruption, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to 

the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and 

I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. I 

hereby order: 

Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in 

the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, 

or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of 

any United States person of the following persons are blocked and 

may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise 

dealt in: 

(i) the persons listed in the Annex to this order; and 

(ii) any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State: 

(A) to be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible 

for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or to have 

participated in, directly or indirectly, any of the following 

in or in relation to Venezuela: 

(1) actions or policies that undermine democratic 

processes or institutions; 

(2) significant acts of violence or conduct that constitutes a serious abuse or violation of human rights, 

including against persons involved in antigovernment 

protests in Venezuela in or since February 2014; 

(3) actions that prohibit, limit, or penalize the exercise of freedom of expression or peaceful assembly; or 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
4 

(4) public corruption by senior officials within the 

Government of Venezuela; 

(B) to be a current or former leader of an entity that 

has, or whose members have, engaged in any activity described in subsection (a)(ii)(A) of this section or of an entity 

whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; 

(C) to be a current or former official of the Government 

of Venezuela; 

(D) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided 

financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or 

services to or in support of: 

(1) a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or 

(2) an activity described in subsection (a)(ii)(A) of 

this section; or 

(E) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any 

person whose property and interests in property are 

blocked pursuant to this order. 

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except 

to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and 

notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit 

granted prior to the effective date of this order. 

Sec. 2. I hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens determined to 

meet one or more of the criteria in subsection 1(a) of this order 

would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I 

hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants or 

nonimmigrants, of such persons, except where the Secretary of 

State determines that the person’s entry is in the national interest 

of the United States. This section shall not apply to an alien if admitting the alien into the United States is necessary to permit the 

United States to comply with the Agreement Regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 

1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, or other applicable international obligations. 

Sec. 3. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the 

type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 

1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this 

order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national 

emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order. 

Sec. 4. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are 

not limited to: 

(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, 

or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and 

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, 

or services from any such person. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
5 

Sec. 5. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose 

of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate 

any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. 

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set 

forth in this order is prohibited. 

Sec. 6. For the purposes of this order: 

(a) the term ‘‘person’’ means an individual or entity; 

(b) the term ‘‘entity’’ means a partnership, association, trust, 

joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; 

(c) the term ‘‘United States person’’ means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of 

the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States; 

(d) the term ‘‘Government of Venezuela’’ means the Government 

of Venezuela, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality 

thereof, including the Central Bank of Venezuela, and any person 

owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela. 

Sec. 7. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice 

to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order 

would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine 

that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national 

emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of 

a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order. 

Sec. 8. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA and section 5 of the 

Venezuela Defense of Human Rights Act, other than the authorities contained in sections 5(b)(1)(B) and 5(c) of that Act, as may be 

necessary to carry out the purposes of this order, with the exception of section 2 of this order, and the relevant provisions of section 

5 of that Act. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any 

of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United 

States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of 

the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order. 

Sec. 9. The Secretary of State is hereby authorized to take such 

actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to 

employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, the INA, 

and section 5 of the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights Act, including the authorities set forth in sections 5(b)(1)(B), 5(c), and 5(d) 

of that Act, as may be necessary to carry out section 2 of this order 

and the relevant provisions of section 5 of that Act. The Secretary 

of State may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and 

agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. 

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and inVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:38 Mar 12, 2015 Jkt 049011 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HD016.XXX HD016

smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
6 

terests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, 

and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination. 

Sec. 11. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit the recurring 

and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 

U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)). 

Sec. 12. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any 

right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 

equity by any party against the United States, its departments, 

agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other 

person. 

Sec. 13. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight 

time on March 9, 2015. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, March 8, 2015. 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOC
7 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HDOCInsert offset folio 11 here 114-16.001