OFAC Issues General Licenses 61 and 62 Authorizing Telecommunications Transactions and Contingent Investment Contracts in Venezuela

On August 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 61 (GL 61) and General License 62 (GL 62), along with accompanying guidance in FAQ 1266, expanding authorized telecommunications operations, infrastructure services, and investment negotiations involving Venezuela.

GL 61: Authorizing the Supply of Certain Items and Services to Venezuela Related to Telecommunications

GL 61 authorizes transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the provision from the U.S. or by a U.S. person of goods, technology, software, or services for the installation, maintenance, refurbishment, repair, upgrade, operation, or support of telecommunications in Venezuela.

• Authorized Counterparties. Permits transactions involving the Government of Venezuela, including entities such as Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL), Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV), and Movilnet.
• Scope of Telecommunication Services. Covers data, telephone, internet connectivity, radio, television, news wire feeds, and similar services, regardless of the transmission medium, including satellite transmission and submarine cables.
• Authorized Incident and Support Transactions. Covers payment processing, shipping and warehousing, roaming and interconnection agreements, capacity or infrastructure leases, submarine cable operations and maintenance, and associated software licensing and IT support.
• Mandatory Contract Terms. Contracts with Venezuelan government entities must explicitly require that (i) terms be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of a state or jurisdiction within the U.S., and (ii) dispute resolution proceedings occur in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, or Singapore.
• Reporting Requirements. Any person that exports, reexports, sells, resells, or supplies goods, technology, software, or services pursuant to this license must submit detailed transaction reports to Sanctions_inbox@state.gov within 10 days of executing the first transaction, and every 90 days thereafter while transactions remain ongoing
• Prohibitions. GL 61 excludes non-commercial payment terms, debt swaps, gold payments, digital tokens, including the Petro, blocked vessels, the unblocking of blocked property, transactions involving parties tied to Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, or North Korea, and the formation of new joint ventures or other entities in Venezuela to develop or invest in the telecommunications sector.

OFAC FAQ 1266: Practical Scope

FAQ 1266 clarifies the operational scope of GL 61 by outlining specific authorized activities, equipment, and services:

• Hardware and Infrastructure. Authorizes the provision of broadband access equipment, network infrastructure, components, spare parts, fiber-optic pairs, and satellite bandwidth.
• Connectivity and IT Services. Permits international telecommunications connectivity, including IP transit, cloud services, data storage and backup systems, network monitoring and automation platforms, customer billing systems, and supporting servers.
• Incidental Financial Services. Covers financial services ordinarily incident and necessary to authorized telecommunications operations, provided they do not involve prohibited debt swaps or non-commercial terms.

GL 62: Authorizing Negotiations of and Entry Into Contingent Contracts for Investment in the Telecommunications Sector of Venezuela

GL 62 authorizes negotiations of and entry into contingent contracts for new investments, establishing new service providers, expanding existing operations, or forming new joint ventures in Venezuela's telecommunications sector.

• Scope of Agreements. Authorizes executory contracts, agreements in principle, binding MOUs, executory pro forma invoices, and bids or proposals in response to public tenders.
• Permitted Due Diligence. Authorizes prefatory operational steps, including commercial, legal, technical, safety, and environmental due diligence and assessments.
• Condition Precedent. Contractual performance must be expressly contingent upon obtaining separate, specific authorization from OFAC.
• Prohibitions. Excludes transactions involving individuals or entities located in or tied to Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, or North Korea, as well as the unblocking of blocked property.

Disclaimer

This report is prepared for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The interpretation and application of OFAC sanctions regulations are a complex area of U.S. law. Companies are strongly encouraged to consult qualified U.S. sanctions counsel before taking any action in reliance on these General Licenses. LEC Abogados is a Venezuelan law firm and does not practice U.S. law or provide advice on OFAC regulations. Information is current as of the date of publication.