Bulgarian Authorities Block Assets Of Venezuela's PDVSA Oil Company - Reports

The Bulgarian authorities froze assets of Venezuelan state oil and gas giant PDVSA in national banks, local media reported on Wednesday, citing Bulgaria's Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) The Bulgarian authorities froze assets of Venezuelan state oil and gas giant PDVSA in national banks, local media reported on Wednesday, citing Bulgaria's Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov.

The Bulgarian prosecutor general held a joint press conference with US Ambassador to Sofia Eric Rubin earlier in the day.

The BTA news agency reported that, according to Tsatsarov, a part of the money from Venezuelan accounts was already transferred to other countries.

Sofia will decide on whether to initiate criminal proceedings over instances where money transferred from PDVSA accounts was laundered after each case is verified. Tsatsarov noted that all measures were being taken to ensure full control over the remaining funds and prevent further transfers.

On January 23, the political crisis in Venezuela took a new turn when the speaker of the opposition-led Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, declared himself interim president amid ongoing anti-government protests. Guaido's declaration was almost immediately recognized by the United States and some of its allies. EU member states were expected to issue a joint statement recognizing Guaido, but Italy vetoed the motion, according to a Sputnik source.

Russia, along with China, Mexico, Turkey, Uruguay and several other countries, has voiced support for Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.