OFAC clarifies Venezuela earthquake relief payment rules

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2026 — The Office of Foreign Assets Control clarified how payment requirements apply to transactions supporting earthquake relief in Venezuela, distinguishing those activities from transactions authorized under other Venezuela-related general licenses.

General License 60 authorizes all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts under the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations. That authorization includes taxes, tolls and fees paid to the Government of Venezuela when connected with relief efforts.

Payments authorized by General License 60 do not have to be deposited into the FGDF. OFAC did not provide a separate effective date for the guidance.

The clarification does not change requirements attached to other Venezuela-related licenses. Payments for activities outside the scope of General License 60 must still go into the FGDF when conducted under licenses containing that requirement. OFAC identified General Licenses 46C, 48B, 49A, 50B, 51B, 52A and 54A as examples.

Those payments cannot be recharacterized as earthquake relief, or otherwise modified, to avoid the FGDF requirement. For compliance teams, the distinction makes a transaction’s connection to earthquake relief central to determining which payment treatment applies.