U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

89–011 2019

116th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 116–56 

BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF 

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, AS 

AMENDED, AS RELIED UPON FOR ADDITIONAL STEPS TAKEN IN 

SUBSEQUENT EXECUTIVE ORDERS, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 

1703(b); PUBLIC LAW 95–223 SEC. 204(b); (91 STAT. 1627) AND 50 

U.S.C. 1641(b); PUBLIC LAW 94–412, SEC. 401(b); (90 STAT. 1257) 

AUGUST 9, 2019.—Referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs 

and the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTSE:\Seals\Congress.#13

SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
(1) 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, August 5, 2019. 

Hon. NANCY PELOSI, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National 

Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby report that I have 

issued an Executive Order taking additional steps with respect to 

the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692, as 

amended, as relied upon for additional steps taken in subsequent 

Executive Orders. 

I have determined that it is necessary to block the property of 

the Government of Venezuela in light of the continued usurpation 

of power by the illegitimate Nicolas Maduro regime, as well as the 

regime’s human rights abuses, arbitrary arrest and detention of 

Venezuelan citizens, curtailment of free press, and ongoing attempts to undermine Interim President Juan Guaido of Venezuela 

and the democratically-elected Venezuelan National Assembly. 

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

Sincerely, 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS

SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
(3) 

EXECUTIVE ORDER

BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF 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.), 

section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 

U.S.C. 1182(f)), 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 

(Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela), as amended, as relied 

upon for additional steps taken in subsequent Executive Orders, 

and in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolas 

Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights 

abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful arrest and detention of 

Venezuelan citizens, interference with freedom of expression, including for members of the media, and ongoing attempts to undermine Interim President Juan Guaido and the Venezuelan National 

Assembly’s exercise of legitimate authority in Venezuela, hereby 

order: 

Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property of the Government of Venezuela 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 are blocked 

and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in. 

(b) 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: any 

person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State: 

(i) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services 

to or in support of, any person included on the list of Specially 

Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the 

Office of Foreign Assets Control whose property and interests 

in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or 

(ii) 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. 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
4 

(c) The prohibitions in subsections (a)–(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 prior to the effective date of this order. 

Sec. 2. The unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into 

the United States of aliens determined to meet one or more of the 

criteria in section 1(b) of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and entry of such persons into the 

United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, is hereby suspended, except when the Secretary of State determines that the 

person’s entry would not be contrary to the interests of the United 

States, including when the Secretary so determines, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General, that the person’s entry 

would further important United States law enforcement objectives. 

In exercising this responsibility, the Secretary of State shall consult the Secretary of Homeland Security on matters related to admissibility or inadmissibility within the authority of the Secretary 

of Homeland Security. Such persons shall be treated in the same 

manner as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of 

July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency 

Economic Powers Act Sanctions). The Secretary of State shall have 

the responsibility for implementing this section pursuant to such 

conditions and procedures as the Secretary has established or may 

establish pursuant to Proclamation 8693. 

Sec. 3. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include: 

(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. 

Sec. 4. (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. 5. Nothing in this order shall prohibit: 

(a) transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof; or 

(b) transactions related to the provision of articles such as food, 

clothing, and medicine intended to be used to relieve human suffering. 

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; and 

(d) the term ‘‘Government of Venezuela’’ includes the state and 

Government of Venezuela, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of Venezuela 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS
5 

and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), any person owned or 

controlled, directly or indirectly, by the foregoing, and any person 

who has acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on 

behalf of, any of the foregoing, including as a member of the 

Maduro regime. For the purposes of section 2 of this order, the 

term ‘‘Government of Venezuela’’ shall not include any United 

States citizen, any permanent resident alien of the United States, 

any alien lawfully admitted to the United States, or any alien holding a valid United States visa. 

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 Executive Order 13692, 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 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 within the 

Department of the Treasury. All agencies of the United States Government shall take all appropriate measures within their authority 

to carry out the provisions of this order. 

Sec. 9. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or 

otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department 

or agency, or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management 

and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative 

proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable 

law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(c) 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. 10. This order is effective at 9:00 a.m. eastern daylight time 

on August 5, 2019. 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, August 5, 2019. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with REPORTS