US allows earthquake aid money to go to Venezuela's government

The Donald Trump administration has clarified that international payments for earthquake relief in Venezuela can be sent directly to the interim government, bypassing the United States. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a statement on July 17, 2026, amending General License No. 60, which was initially enacted on June 25 during the national emergency declaration.

This agency, part of the Treasury Department, manages Washington's sanctions regime against the interim Venezuelan government. License No. 60 authorizes all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela, including the payment of taxes, tolls, and fees to the Venezuelan government for these activities. The clarification specifies that these earthquake relief payments do not need to be deposited into the Global Development Fund (FGDF).

The FGDF is the mechanism through which the U.S. has seized Venezuelan oil and gold export revenues for direct administration. This regime is enforced as part of Washington's oversight of Venezuela, following military actions that led to the detention of Nicolás Maduro on January 3. In theory, the FGDF ensures that Venezuela's formal revenues are used by the sanctioned government for state functions rather than being diverted.

However, the OFAC's July 17 clarification states that payments for activities not covered by General License 60 must continue to be directed to the FGDF. This applies to other authorized activities under different general licenses concerning Venezuela, where export payments are clearly designated for the FGDF. The statement warns that these funds cannot be reclassified as earthquake aid or altered to avoid payment to the Fund. To date, neither the U.S. government nor the interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez has provided accounts of the funds within the FGDF or their utilization, nor have they disclosed the value of oil exports contributing to this account.