GENEVA – The Swiss government said on Jan 5 that it had decided to freeze any assets held in Switzerland by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or his associates “with immediate effect”.

Bern said it had reached its decision after Mr Maduro was seized in Caracas in a shock US military operation and brought to New York to face narcotrafficking charges.

Describing the situation as “volatile”, the Swiss government said in a statement that it wanted “to ensure that any illicitly acquired assets cannot be transferred out of Switzerland in the current situation”.

“The asset freeze comes into force today with immediate effect and will remain valid for four years until further notice.”

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[+] 72 points 10 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 32 points 10 months ago

    Swiss held on to that shiny Nazi gold, too.

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  • [–] 30 points 10 months ago

    It's very telling seeing how the Western countries reacted to Russia invading Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, and now the US invading Venezuela. It's now crystal clear that the West does not care about any moral principles, and the actual tension over Ukraine is whose sphere of influence it's under.

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  • [–] 27 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Have they frozen any criminal billionaires ' assets?

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  • [–] [S] 15 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Turns out that instead of arresting any pedophile in the Epstein files it was easier to invade another country on fake charges and arrest a guy to steal his oil.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    I saw some mastodon posters calling this a distraction from the Epstein files as if anti-communism, installing far-right dictators, and privatizing everything weren't already the highest priorities for burgerland.

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  • [–] 26 points 10 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 50 points 10 months ago (27 children)

    So Maduro is guilty until proven innocent.

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  • [+] -30 points 10 months ago (26 children)

    Well... he wasn't exactly innocent.

    I don't condone what happened, but Maduro was not a great man either. 

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  • [–] 47 points 10 months ago (23 children)

    Maduro is a democratically elected president loved by the working classes, he is targeted by the US because he continued Venezuela's policy of nationalizing the oil industry. This is naked colonialism.

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  • [+] -14 points 10 months ago (17 children)

    "Democratically elected" that's debatable.

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  • [–] 33 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    The same people who said Trump won 2020 are telling you Maduro lost to an unpopular far-right candidate supported most among Venezuelans by those who live in Miami, not Venezuela.

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  • [+] -12 points 10 months ago* (4 children)
  • [–] 26 points 10 months ago

    Linking the Carter Center as evidence that this is "consensus across the political spectrun" means you're limiting said spectrum to the pro-imperialist western countries. Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, all recognize Maduro. Edmundo Gonzalez is a far-right comprador that wishes to privatize Venezuela's oil, and was backed by the US Empire, which the US tried to manipulate the election via sanctions (and the EU participated as well). Gonzalez is more popular among Venezuelans in Miami than in Venezuela itself.

    Let's stick with the facts: The US kidnapped a democratically elected president to colonize Venezuela and strip it for oil, and people who legitimize it by equating Maduro and Trump have blood on their hands.

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  • [–] 40 points 10 months ago (10 children)

    Yeah, the US and its puppets say the election was stolen!

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  • [–] -4 points 10 months ago (9 children)

    To be fair,  I don't exactly trust the other sources that say he didn't receive the majority of the votes. 

    That being said, that doesn't change the fact he was corrupt and was living in luxury and was well fed while Venezuelans were hungry and poor.

    The only thing I admire about him is sticking up to the US, being an economic partner to Cuba and standing in solidarity with Palestinians.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    To be fair,  I don't exactly trust the other sources that say he Trump didn't receive the majority of the votes. 

    That being said, that doesn't change the fact he was corrupt and was living in luxury and was well fed while Venezuelans Americans were hungry and poor.

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  • [–] -2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (6 children)

    Well, yeah. But one doesn't cancel the other.

    EDIT: This is nothing more than whataboutism. "What about Trump?" Yeah I know Trump is a garbage of a human being. If you can even  all him human at this point. Him, the people around him and the entire American government have done so much harm to humanity. They're worst only next to Israel, whose people make the worst fictional monsters look like little ballerinas.

    But that doesn't cancel the fact Maduro was an asshole corrupt crooked motherfucker who inflicted a lot of pain on the people of his country.

    Do I condone him being kidnapped like this? Hell no. That's bullshit. America can fuck off.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (5 children)

    This is nothing more than whataboutism

    I'm not trying to cancel anything about Maduro. I'm highlighting the parallels between him and the wealthy, corrupt, convicted felon in charge of the US.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (4 children)

    Well we all know about the US gouvernent and their crimes.

    But why can't anybody here acknowledge that Maduro was a crook himself? He had to go, but he rigged the system against it. 

    I mean if we were talking about Chavez, that guy had his people's well being at heart. And I have a lot of respect for that man.

    But Maduro I can't defend. And it seems to me like the people here are defending him, and argue and downvote in bad faith. If a leader is a bad person,  no matter where they stand on the political spectrum, they shouldn't be defended from any criticism. 

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (3 children)

    Election fraud goes unpunished all over the world. I'm not defending Maduro, but he was arrested for narco-terrorism, not system rigging.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (2 children)

    The initial comment I made was that his election being fair and democratic was debatable, which is true. Then everybody went apeshit trying to defend him with whataboutisms. That's the problem.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I didn't really have a problem with your description. I just thought it was so close to describing Trump that it needed highlighting.

    "It doesn't change the fact that [Trump] was corrupt and was living in luxury and was well fed while [Americans] were hungry and poor."

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  • [+] -2 points 10 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Maduro was democratically elected because the election was widely observed as fair, Maduro won 51% to González' 43%, and because surrounding nations such as Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, etc. recognized it as legitimate. The fact is, the same people that claim Biden stole the 2020 election are now telling you that Maduro stole 2024 in order to justify kidnapping him and his wife and steal Venezuelan oil. This is a tried and true tactic of the US Empire.

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  • [–] -3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Both sides play the same game, I just choose to listen to a majority as its harder to get the majority of the world to agree on something. I am not talking about Biden so let's keep him out of this or it will devolve to scapegoatism (ie. But Biden did that...)

    The nonprofit human rights foundation said it was fraud, the majority of south america said it was fraud even countries aligned more to China than the US. Source

    Lastly, if the elections of Venezuela where legitimate and Maduro was the "good guy" as you appear to paint him as then why do we have a Venezuelan refuge crisis? Source

    Bonus: No one has ever told me that Biden stole the election in the US and also said Maduro stole the Venezuelan election, I don't listen to propaganda networks like Newsmax or Fox News.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

    The nonprofit human rights foundation said it was fraud, the majority of south america said it was fraud even countries aligned more to China than the US. Source

    Your source is the Human Rights Foundation, a US State Department - mouthpiece known for manufacturing consent for regime change. What's actually true is that Maduro is the internationally recognized president of Venezuela.

    Lastly, if the elections of Venezuela where legitimate and Maduro was the “good guy” as you appear to paint him as then why do we have a Venezuelan refuge crisis? Source

    Gusanos fled Venezuela when their assets were nationalized. Continuous emigration from Venezuela is due to the economic act of war from the US Empire, including sanctions, blockades, and restricting trade with Venezuela. The working classes support Maduro in Venezuela, which is why the US Empire is relying on AI generated videos, older videos celebrating Maduro's election in 2024, and so forth to pretend Venezuelans are celebrating his kidnapping.

    Bonus: No one has ever told me that Biden stole the election in the US and also said Maduro stole the Venezuelan election, I don’t listen to propaganda networks like Newsmax or Fox News.

    Biden is an imperialist, just like Trump. Operation Gideon happened under Biden, where the US Empire tried a Bay of Pigs style invasion of Venezuela. Desire to overthrow the socialist government of Venezuela has existed since Chavez nationalized the oil industry. You do listen to propaganda, likely CNN, BBC, or New York Times.

    Edit: Not directly funded, but a mouthpiece nonetheless.

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  • [–] -2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Your source is the Human Rights Foundation, a US State Department-funded group known for manufacturing consent for regime change. What’s actually true is that Maduro is the internationally recognized president of Venezuela.

    Um... except it isnt.

    The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Venezuelan human rights advocate and film producer Thor Halvorssen Mendoza in response to the alarming rise of authoritarianism in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela.

    Straight from Wikipedia

    Gusanos fled Venezuela when their assets were nationalized.

    I guess Venezuela is full of "Gusanos" as you call them because 7.9 million isn't a small number hermano.

    Biden is an imperialist, just like Trump.

    And your point is what? No one is denying it.

    Not denying Operation Gideon either, but can you please point me to where Biden did this? According to your own link the operation was primarily planned by Clíver Alcalá Cordones (retired Venezuelan major general) and Jordan Goudreau (a canadian american mercenary).

    Desire to overthrow the socialist government of Venezuela

    Venezuela was never socialist. Hell, the US is more socialist than Venezuela. Venezuela is more of a marxism-leninism when it comes to the government it has.

    You do listen to propaganda, likely CNN, BBC, or New York Times.

    Like I said, I don't watch imperialist propaganda networks, sorry. Try again comrade.

    Lastly, what Trump did is an illegal act of war both in the international laws side and in the laws of the united states as he didn't even get congress to sign off on (not that this would make it OK either). However, the point isn't that the US is good or bad (because the US currently has a corrupt and out of control government at the moment), it's that Maduro did not get elected.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    From your own link

    The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting and protecting human rights globally, with an emphasis on authoritarian regimes.[2] HRF organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum. The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Thor Halvorssen Mendoza, a Venezuelan film producer and human rights advocate. The current chairman is Russian opposition activist Yulia Navalnaya, and Javier El-Hage is the current chief legal officer. The foundation's head office is in the Empire State Building in New York City.[2][3][4]

    The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Venezuelan human rights advocate and film producer Thor Halvorssen Mendoza in response to the alarming rise of authoritarianism in Latin America,[5] particularly in Venezuela.[6]

    His family's deeply personal experience with political repression—his father was arbitrarily imprisoned and his mother seriously wounded by security forces during a protest—shaped HRF's early mission to boldly defend individual rights in closed societies.[7] HRF's founding council included figures such as Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and former Czech president Václav Havel, who called the organization "an essential voice for freedom" and later chaired its International Council until his death in 2011.

    Initially focused on Latin America, HRF worked on legal advocacy, international litigation, and public campaigns on behalf of political prisoners. It later expanded its focus to the global stage, taking on cases in countries such as North Korea, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Today, HRF runs campaigns and engages in bold, unapologetic pro-democracy advocacy around the world, with a laser-sharp focus on countries classified as authoritarian or hybrid authoritarian.

    Essentially, a gusano that lost out when Chavez nationalized the oil industry among others for the good of the people made a non-profit to deliver US State department propaganda around the world about the US Empire's geopolitical enemies. They also shill for cryptocurrency. They're a far-right think-tank.

    I guess Venezuela is full of “Gusanos” as you call them because 7.9 million isn’t a small number hermano.

    It is and was, but also has had people flee due to economic problems caused by the US Empire sanctioning them, not a fault of Maduro or Chavez.

    Not denying Operation Gideon either, but can you please point me to where Biden did this? According to your own link the operation was primarily planned by Clíver Alcalá Cordones (retired Venezuelan major general) and Jordan Goudreau (a canadian american mercenary).

    It was supported by the US government, and is merely one of many attempts by the empire to undermine Venezuelan socialism.

    Venezuela was never socialist. Hell, the US is more socialist than Venezuela. Venezuela is more of a marxism-leninism when it comes to the government it has.

    Marxism-Leninism is socialist, but Venezuela is closer to reformist socialism than Marxism-Leninism. The US Empire is capitalist, the large firms and key industries are privately owned and capitalists in charge of the state. I don't know what you think Marxism-Leninism is, but if you want a primer, check out section 0 of the intro ML reading list I made.

    Lastly, what Trump did is an illegal act of war both in the international laws side and in the laws of the united states as he didn’t even get congress to sign off on (not that this would make it OK either). However, the point isn’t that the US is good or bad (because the US currently has a corrupt and out of control government at the moment), it’s that Maduro did not get elected.

    You haven't proven that Maduro didn't get elected, though, you've just posted that the majority of western countries and compradors believe him to not be. The majority of the world upholds Maduro as legitimate and the constitutionally recognized president of Venezuela. The US Empire has always been corrupt and "out of control," Trump is just the latest in a long line of imperialists.

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  • [–] 20 points 10 months ago

    How surprising /s

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  • [–] 36 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    but i thought switzerland was neutral! /s

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago

    How neutral of them.

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  • [–] 13 points 10 months ago

    Bunch of cunts.

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  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago

    Swiss neutrality: We'll hold everyone's money... until we decide not to.

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago

    Fascist collaborators to their core

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    Hold up. What assets in Switzerland..?

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  • 6 comments in c/world view that post
    [–] 20 points 10 months ago

    So much for neutral banking.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago*

    Wasn't Maduro sanctioned for years already? How did they come to hold them in the first place? Why Maduro and not others? Seems like Switzerland pledged loyalty.

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  • [–] 13 points 10 months ago

    Europe just pretends to follow international laws. But America, Israel, Switzerland are all the same.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    let the vulture feast begin!

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago

    Nazi Maduro Gold!!!

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  • Death to the swiss.

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