On January 7, 2023, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License (GL) 5J, “Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond on or After April 20, 2023,” which continues to delay U.S. persons’ ability to enforce bondholder rights to the CITGO shares serving as collateral for the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) 2020 8.5% bond until on or after April 20, 2023. The previous deadline had been January 20, 2023. Effective January 17, 2023, this GL replaces GL 5I.
With this revised General License, U.S. persons remain prohibited until April 20, 2023 from engaging in any transactions related to the sale or transfer of CITGO shares in connection with the PdVSA 2020 8.5% Bond, unless specifically authorized by OFAC. In the modified FAQ 595, OFAC notes a favorable licensing policy toward those seeking to apply for a specific license in an effort to reach an agreement on proposals to “restructure or refinance payments due to the holders of the PdVSA 2020 8.5% bond.”