Stop Killing Venezuelan Children! Novo Banco Blocks Payment from Venezuela to PAHO to Buy Vaccines

By Staff, Agencies

The Portuguese bank Novo Banco, based in Lisbon and owned by the US firm Lone Star, blocked a payment to the Pan American Health Organization [PAHO], for the acquisition of 30 million syringes and 13 million vaccines against COVID-19 destined for the people from Venezuela.

The information was revealed through a series of messages on the Twitter account of the International Progressive Movement which reflects a letter sent by the president of the Bank for Economic and Social Development [Bandes], Hector Andres Obregon Perez to the President of the Portuguese banking entity, Novo Banco, Antonio Manuel Palma Ramalho.

In the letter, Obregon asks Ramalho for information about the status of the investigation from the judge who is handling case No. 1182 / 19.3TELSB regarding the payment processed on July 23, 2021 pertaining to the payment owed to PAHO from the Venezuelan Government , through the account belonging to the Bandes and deposited in this banking institution.

Obregon requests that if such payment has not been notified, he should do so, considering that on July 6, 2021, the judge of the aforementioned procedure lifted the freezing measures applied to the Bandes account and decided that “any order related to them should be subject to judicial authorization “, in addition to the fact that the requested payment is urgent” because of the humanitarian reasons described in my letter to you, containing such instruction, “reads the end of the letter.

In this way, the effect of the coercive measures on the Venezuelan people is once again evident.

It was learned that this Thursday, a coalition of parliamentarians from all over Europe [EU] has written to the general director of Novo Banco, Antonio Ramalho, urging him to “act in accordance with international law and release funds to save the health and life of Venezuelan children”.

Since 2017, Novo Banco has seized $ 1.7 billion in Venezuelan government assets in what many have called “state-sanctioned expropriation,” leaning back to comply with extreme and illegal US sanctions.

In another trill, he points out that “the Novo Banco case makes it clear: sanctions kill,” James Schneider told The Intercept. “The G7 speaks of the need for ‘solidarity’, but their economic policies prevent entire countries from having access to basic life-saving medicines.”