CARACAS — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday his government is maintaining contact with holders of the country’s bonds and is willing to make good on payment obligations which have gone unattended since the end of 2017.

Maduro advisors spoke to investors and bondholders from Europe and the United States about their country’s economic potential during a call in January.
“We have a dialog with (bondholders) and we have made them a very powerful offer for Venezuela to honor its commitments,” Maduro said during an event with bankers broadcast on state television. “But the government of the United States is impeding it.”

Maduro did not give any details about the proposal but said bondholders are the ones being hurt by U.S. sanctions.

Venezuela suspended payments to bondholders in November 2017 and proposed re-negotiating $60 billion in debt, but sanctions from Washington, which block U.S. companies and individuals from doing business with Venezuela has stymied any talks. Another re-negotiation attempt was made in October 2020 to no avail.

Read the full story.