Weekly Report - 07 May 2026 (WR-26-18)

Despite growing optimism about Venezuela’s economic fortunes following the US seizure of former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) and his replacement with the more business-friendly Delcy Rodríguez, the country faces a major obstacle on its road to recovery – a sprawling and opaque national debt, which without a restructuring will limit the government’s ability to tap international finance and leave it vulnerable to litigation from creditors who were burned by earlier nationalisations. In a step towards addressing that problem, the latest easing of US sanctions on 5 May aimed to facilitate an eventual restructuring.