[House Document 115-103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




115th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 115-103

 
     TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                     THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

  AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH RESPECT TO VENEZUELA THAT TAKES ADDITIONAL 
  STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE 
  ORDER 13692 OF MARCH 8, 2015, AND RELIED UPON FOR ADDITIONAL STEPS 
   TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13808 OF AUGUST 24, 2017, PURSUANT TO 50 
     U.S.C. 1703(b); PUBLIC LAW 95-223 SEC. 204(b); (91 STAT. 1627)







[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]







   March 20, 2018.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, and ordered to be 
                                printed
                               
                                ______

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

79-011                         WASHINGTON : 2018 
                               
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
To the Congress of the Unites States:
    Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 
(IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have 
signed an Executive Order with respect to Venezuela that takes 
additional steps with respect to the national emergency 
declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and relied 
upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13808 of 
August 24, 2017. The Executive Order prohibits, as of its 
effective date, all transactions related to, provision of 
financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person 
or within the United States, any digital currency, digital 
coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf 
of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018.
    I have authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, 
including promulgating rules and regulations and to employ all 
powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to 
carry out the purposes of the Executive Order.
    I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

                                                   Donald J. Trump.
    The White House, March 19, 2018.

                            Executive Order

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     Taking Additional Steps To Address the Situation in Venezuela

    By the authority vested in me as President by the 
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, 
including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States 
Code,
    I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of 
America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the 
national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 
8, 2015, and relied upon for additional steps taken in 
Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017, and in light of 
recent actions taken by the Maduro regime to attempt to 
circumvent U.S. sanctions by issuing a digital currency in a 
process that Venezuela's democratically elected National 
Assembly has denounced as unlawful, hereby order as follows:
    Section 1. (a) All transactions related to, provision of 
financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person 
or within the United States, any digital currency, digital 
coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf 
of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018, are 
prohibited as of the effective date of this order.
    (b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section 
apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in 
regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued 
pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract 
entered into or any license or permit granted before the 
effective date of this order.
    Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the 
purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or 
attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this 
order is prohibited.
    (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the 
prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
    Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:
    (a) the term ``person'' means an individual or entity;
    (b) the term ``entity'' means a partnership, association, 
trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other 
organization;
    (c) the term ``United States person'' means any United 
States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized 
under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within 
the United States (including foreign branches of such 
entities), or any person within the United States; and
    (d) the term ``Government of Venezuela'' means the 
Government of Venezuela, any political subdivision, agency, or 
instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of 
Venezuela and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), and any 
person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, 
the Government of Venezuela.
    Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such 
actions, including promulgating rules and regulations, and to 
employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be 
necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of the 
Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of 
these functions to other officers and executive departments and 
agencies of the United States Government. All agencies of the 
United States Government shall take all appropriate measures 
within their authority to carry out the provisions of this 
order.
    Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in 
property are affected by this order who might have a 
constitutional presence in the United States, I find that 
because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets 
instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures taken 
pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. 
I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective 
in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive 
Order 13692, there need be no prior notice given for 
implementation of this order.
    Sec. 6. This order is not intended to, and does not, create 
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at 
law or in equity by any party against the United States, its 
departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
agents, or any other person.
    Sec. 7. This order is effective at 12:15 p.m. eastern 
daylight time on March 19, 2018.

                                                   Donald J. Trump.
    The White House, March 19, 2018.

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