U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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79–011 2018

115th Congress, 2d Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 115–103 

TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO ADDRESS THE 

SITUATION IN VENEZUELA 

MESSAGE 

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, AND RELIED UPON FOR ADDITIONAL STEPS TAKEN IN 

EXECUTIVE ORDER 13808 OF AUGUST 24, 2017, PURSUANT TO 

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

MARCH 20, 2018.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, and ordered to be 

printed 


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To the Congress of the Unites States: 

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, and relied upon for additional steps 

taken in Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017. The Executive 

Order prohibits, as of its effective date, all transactions related to, 

provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States 

person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital 

coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the 

Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018. 

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. 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, March 19, 2018. 


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EXECUTIVE ORDER

TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO ADDRESS 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 relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 

13808 of August 24, 2017, and in light of recent actions taken by 

the Maduro regime to attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions by 

issuing a digital currency in a process that Venezuela’s democratically elected National Assembly has denounced as unlawful, hereby order as follows: 

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

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

United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token, 

that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018, are prohibited as of the effective date of 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 before the effective date of this order. 

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 of such entities), or any person within 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 Petroleos de 


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Venezuela, S.A. (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 and 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 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 

given for implementation of 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 12:15 p.m. eastern daylight time 

on March 19, 2018. 

DONALD J. TRUMP. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, March 19, 2018. 

Æ 


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