Venezuela launches $150 bn debt restructuring and urges end to sanctions

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s government appointed U.S. firm Centerview Partners as adviser for a $150 bn sovereign‑debt restructuring, bypassing a formal competitive process. The move follows the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro and signals a shift toward greater transparency, though questions remain about the role of former U.S. Latin‑America envoy Mauricio Claver‑Carone in the hiring.

Venezuelan authorities also announced a rapid restructuring of the state apparatus, naming Héctor Rodríguez and Anabel Pereira as presidential commissioners to redesign ministries within 90 days. Simultaneously, Rodríguez met with Defensoría del Pueblo chief Eglée González to review new human‑rights projects amid a severe prison‑system crisis in Barinas.

International investors responded positively: Vanguard increased its exposure to Venezuelan sovereign and PDVSA bonds to about 1.4% of its emerging‑markets fund, joining other asset managers that have raised positions as expectations of a formal debt settlement grow. The government also called on the international community to lift the extensive U.S. sanctions that it says cripple the country’s economic recovery.

These developments together indicate a coordinated effort by the interim administration to address Venezuela’s financial distress, improve governance, and seek relief from external constraints.