ZURICH: Venezuela transported gold worth almost 4.14 billion Swiss francs ($5.20 billion) to Switzerland during the early years of the leadership of ousted President Nicolas Maduro, customs data shows.
The South American country sent 113 metric tons of the precious metal to Switzerland from 2013 — when Maduro took office — to 2016, according to data reviewed by Reuters.
The gold originated from Venezuela’s central bank, Swiss broadcaster SRF said, at a time when the government was selling down gold to support its economy.
There were no gold exports from Venezuela to Switzerland from 2017, when EU sanctions were imposed, to 2025, customs data showed.
Maduro was seized by US special forces in a raid in Caracas on January 3, and faces charges in a New York court including drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
