U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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69–011 2017

115th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 115–61 

IMPOSING ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT 

TO THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA 

COMMUNICATION 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH RESPECT TO VENEZUELA THAT 

TAKES ADDITIONAL STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL 

EMERGENCY DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13692 OF MARCH 

8, 2015, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1622(d); PUBLIC LAW 94–412, 

SEC. 202(d); (90 STAT. 1257) 

AUGUST 29, 2017.—Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, August 25, 2017. 

Hon. PAUL D. RYAN, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have signed an Executive Order with respect to Venezuela that takes additional steps with respect to the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015. 

The Executive Order prohibits transactions related to provision 

of financing for, and other dealings in (i) new debt of Petroleos de 

Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) with a maturity of greater than 90 days, 

(ii) new debt of the rest of the Government of Venezuela with a maturity of greater than 30 days, (iii) new equity of the Government 

of Venezuela (including PdVSA), (iv) bonds issued by the Government of Venezuela before the effective date of this Executive Order, 

and (v) dividend payments or other distributions of profit to the 

Government of Venezuela from any entity owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that government. The Executive Order also 

prohibits purchases of securities from the Government of Venezuela. The Secretary of the Treasury has authority to issue general licenses to mitigate hardship to the American and Venezuelan 

people and any negative unintended consequences that may result 

from this action. 

I have authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation 

with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations and to employ all powers granted to 

the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Executive Order. 

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

Sincerely, 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 

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EXECUTIVE ORDER

IMPOSING ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT 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.), 

and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, 

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, 

and particularly in light of recent actions and policies of the Government of Venezuela, including serious abuses of human rights 

and fundamental freedoms; responsibility for the deepening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela; establishment of an illegitimate 

Constituent Assembly, which has usurped the power of the democratically elected National Assembly and other branches of the 

Government of Venezuela; rampant public corruption; and ongoing 

repression and persecution of, and violence toward, the political opposition, hereby order as follows: 

Section 1. (a) All transactions related to, provision of financing 

for, and other dealings in the following by a United States person 

or within the United States are prohibited: 

(i) new debt with a maturity of greater than 90 days of 

Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA); 

(ii) new debt with a maturity of greater than 30 days, or new 

equity, of the Government of Venezuela, other than debt of 

PdVSA covered by subsection (a)(i) of this section; 

(iii) bonds issued by the Government of Venezuela prior to 

the effective date of this order; or 

(iv) dividend payments or other distributions of profits to the 

Government of Venezuela from any entity owned or controlled, 

directly or indirectly, by the Government of Venezuela. 

(b) The purchase, directly or indirectly, by a United States person or within the United States, of securities from the Government 

of Venezuela, other than securities qualifying as new debt with a 

maturity of less than or equal to 90 or 30 days as covered by subsections (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this section, respectively, is prohibited. 

(c) The prohibitions in subsections (a) and (b) 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 before the effective date of this order. 

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Sec. 2. (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. 3. 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; and 

(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 PdVSA, and 

any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the 

Government of Venezuela. 

Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent 

with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions to other officers and executive departments and agencies of the United States 

Government. All agencies of the United States Government shall 

take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out 

the provisions of this order. 

Sec. 5. For those persons whose property or interests in property 

are affected by 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 Executive Order 13692, there need be no prior notice of a listing or 

determination made pursuant to this order. 

Sec. 6. 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. 7. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 

on August 25, 2017. 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, August 24, 2017. 

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