Venezuela's stolen assets, returning to its people
Billions in forfeited Venezuelan assets are already sitting in the U.S. Treasury. INRAV pushes to make sure they're transparently recovered, protected, and eventually returned to rebuild the country.
- Mission
- The Venezuela Loot Tracker
- How We Work
- The PANA Act
- Leadership & Allies
- Learn & Get Involved
Recovering what corruption stole, transparently
The Venezuela Asset Recovery Initiative (INRAV) is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in the U.S. by Venezuelans in 2020. We are the only nonprofit exclusively dedicated to advancing the transparent recovery and restitution of assets stolen through corruption by combining legislative advocacy, public transparency, strategic partnerships, and citizen engagement.
Corruption under the Chávez and Maduro regimes diverted an estimated $300–500 billion from the Venezuelan people. Today, with active corruption cases in the U.S. and around the world, an unprecedented opportunity exists to ensure recovered assets are returned to benefit the Venezuelan people.
Follow the forfeiture cases
An interactive database that enables tracking of assets forfeited by U.S. courts in corruption cases involving Venezuelan officials linked to the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.
Values and theory of change
Transparency
The pledge of the organization is transparency. INRAV will always promote communication, honesty, and responsibility when it comes to the management of the recovered assets.
Participation
Promote the participation of Venezuela’s civil society organizations so that their ideas and doubts are taken into account at each step of the repatriation process of this capital.
Collaboration
Broaden the collaboration between the different sectors of Venezuela and international actors to recover the greatest amount of the assets that belong to the nation.
Justice
Returning looted assets to the Venezuelan people is a way to combat impunity.
Innovation
Propose innovative methods for the use of the recovered assets that will promote the development of the country.
IF WE DO:
- Research and proposals
- Legal activism
- Data collection
- Education and outreach
WE ACHIEVE:
- A fund where recovered assets are protected
- International management of recovered assets
- Transparency and citizen participation
- Investment in Venezuelans, free from political interference
Research
Examining the legal framework around asset recovery in Venezuela and the United States.
Activism
We mobilized the Venezuelan-American community and worked with legislative offices in the U.S. Congress and Senate to achieve the creation, by law, of Un Fondo por Venezuela.
Data
Building an inventory of confiscated assets so civil society can maintain oversight.
Outreach
Presentations and outreach to keep diaspora communities informed.
The PANA Act
The Preserving Accountability for National Assets Act (H.R. 9039) would establish a Venezuela Restoration Fund inside the US Treasury, a dedicated place to hold assets forfeited from individuals and entities connected to the Chávez and Maduro regimes, so they can eventually be deployed for the benefit of the Venezuelan people rather than lost to ad hoc uses, indefinite legal limbo, or no return at all.
INRAV and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) led the advocacy behind it, securing unanimous House Foreign Affairs Committee approval of a key amendment in 2025, and the bill was reintroduced with bipartisan support in 2026.
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2017
First large seizure of funds tied to corrupt Venezuelan government officials.
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2019
VERDAD Act (S.1025, 116th Congress) passes with bipartisan support and includes provisions to create a restoration fund.
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2021
Senate introduces the PANA Act (S. 1417). INRAV and Transparency Venezuela estimate USD $1.5 billion in forfeited assets.
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2022
House introduces the bipartisan PANA Act (H.R. 6539).
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2023
Senate reintroduces the PANA Act (S.3159). VERDAD Act expires without the creation of a restoration fund.
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2024
INRAV and Transparency Venezuela continue their efforts and estimate forfeited assets of up to USD $4 billion. Venezuelan presidential elections stolen.
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2025
PANA Act approved unanimously at the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC).
Strengthening democracy
Support for democratic governance and institutions, including the National Assembly.
Defending human rights
Documentation of crimes against humanity and human rights violations.
Independent media
Support for independent news outlets that operate outside the Maduro regime's control.
Anti-corruption
Combating corruption and improving transparency and accountability.
Leadership
María Alejandra Márquez
María Alejandra Márquez is a Venezuelan journalist. Besides leading INRAV since 2020, she is also the Executive President of El Tiempo, a 67-year-old, family-owned regional media outlet in Eastern Venezuela. Márquez has a bachelor's in journalism from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) in Caracas, and a master's degree in communication policy studies from the City University of London.
María Corina Vegas
Attorney admitted in New York and Venezuela, with experience in Latin American corporate, banking, and project finance. Holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School and a law degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. Former General Counsel of a national bank and Deputy Director of the IMPAC Fund and the American Business Immigration Coalition.
Chelsea Wilkerson
CEO of Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida since 2016, where she led a business transformation and the council's 2023 centennial. Spent over a decade in leadership roles in Miami-Dade's child welfare system. Holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Smith College and an MBA from St. Thomas University.
Corina Scheuren
Associate Director of Government Relations at Marsh, advising on political risk and public policy strategy. Serves as INRAV's pro-bono Public Policy Advisor, having advanced the PANA Act, H.R. 9039, from drafting to introduction with the Washington Office on Latin America.
Luis Tineo
Practice Manager for the World Bank's Climate Change Department, previously CEO of the $8 billion Climate Investment Funds and General Counsel of Venezuela's Ministry of Finance and Planning. Holds an LL.M. from George Washington University Law School.
Gregorio Riera
Attorney from the Central University of Venezuela, specializing in human rights. Previously coordinated legal strategy for Transparency International's Venezuela chapter. Lead author on INRAV's published asset-recovery policy papers.
Gloria Salazar
Human rights defender since 2008. Sociology degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. Previously coordinated monitoring and evaluation programs for civil society organizations.
Tom West
President of Statesmanship Group, Inc. Holds degrees in sociology and diplomacy from the Spanish Diplomatic School in Madrid. U.S. State Department contractor since 1988.
Allies
WOLA
Washington Office on Latin America: partnered with INRAV on the PANA Act's path from drafting to introduction in Congress.
Transparencia Venezuela
Transparencia Venezuela: Venezuelan chapter of Transparency International; source of the Corruptómetro research behind the Venezuela Loot Tracker.
Vance Center
Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice: connects lawyers across the Americas on pro bono rule-of-law and anti-corruption work.
CIFAR
Civil Forum for Asset Recovery: global network of civil society organizations and journalists working on the recovery of stolen public assets.
DPLF
Due Process of Law Foundation: a Washington, DC nonprofit working to strengthen the rule of law and human rights in Latin America through research, advocacy, and support for civil society.
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Our published legal and policy research builds the case for asset recovery in Congress and the courts.
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