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- The IMF resumed dealings with Venezuela, says Kristalina Georgieva, enabling re-engagement that could benefit the Venezuelan people.
- The World Bank followed the IMF, clearing the way for Venezuela to seek financial assistance to address heavy external debt.
- The announcements come after the US lifted sanctions on acting leader Delcy Rodríguez, boosting her international legitimacy.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez calls resumption of ties ‘great achievement’ of Venezuelan diplomacy.
Published On 17 Apr 2026
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have announced the resumption of ties with Venezuela under the Latin American nation’s interim leader.
The Washington-based financial institutions severed ties with Caracas in 2019 amid a spilt in the international community over whether to support Nicolás Maduro or Juan Guaidó as the country’s rightful leader following disputed presidential elections.
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IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement on Thursday that the institution had resumed dealings with Venezuela under the administration of acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
“This important step, guided by the views of our members, allows the Fund to re‑engage in a way that can ultimately benefit the Venezuelan people,” Georgieva said in a post on social media.
The World Bank announced that it would follow the IMF’s lead in a statement shortly afterward, saying it had been “guided by the outcome” of the fellow lender’s decision-making process.
The bank said it had last made a loan to Caracas in 2005.
The announcements come several weeks after US President Donald Trump’s administration lifted sanctions on Rodríguez, the latest move by Washington to confer legitimacy on the acting leader.
Rodriguez, who assumed power in January after Trump ordered the abduction of Maduro to the US to face drug-trafficking and weapons possession charges, welcomed the announcements.
“It has been a great achievement of Venezuelan diplomacy and I want to thank all the countries and governments that joined in this push for Venezuela’s return to the IMF,” Rodriguez said in an address broadcast on state television
The moves clear the way for Venezuela to request financial assistance from the international lenders if Caracas deems it to be necessary to shore up the nation’s straitened finances.
The Latin American country has one of the highest debt burdens in the world, with total external liabilities estimated at more than $150bn.
In 2020, the IMF rejected Venezuela’s request for an emergency loan of $5bn to help fund its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the lack of an international consensus on the legitimacy of Maduro’s leadership.
Venezuela has been a member of the IMF and the World Bank since 1946.
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