Deputy Ramón Lobo: Resumption of relations with the IMF marks a new economic moment

Published at: 23/04/2026 11:10 PM

The deputy of the National Assembly (AN), Ramón Lobo, assured that the re-establishment of relations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) represents “a new economic moment for the nation”.

In the program A Pulso broadcast by Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), he said that the recent conversations between the president in charge of the Republic, Delcy Rodríguez and the managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, are part of the new economic model being proposed in Venezuela.

He stated that there is great expectation regarding the national economy and different points of view can be given, however, he recalled that, before the IMF, Venezuela has special drawing rights, which are combined units that make it possible to strengthen the international reserves of each country with the main currencies of the world.

He said “in 2021, the IMF generated approximately 650 million dollars in special drawing rights and Venezuela has not been able to use them” and that these funds are not a credit or a loan, but a right of Venezuela.

He explained that by re-establishing relations with the IMF, these special drawing rights can be exchanged for any of the coins in the basket, and that amounts to approximately 5 billion dollars, which would be used for management and social protection.

On the other hand, Lobo, who is also a member of the Permanent Committee on Finance, Economy and Development of the AN, stressed that “from our perspective, always, the working class will always be protected by the Venezuelan State”, when analyzing the impact of the announcement of the President in Charge, on the creation and installation of the Special Commission for the evaluation and classification of public assets of the Republic.

“There is no intention here of generating any kind of personnel removal process. No. It is an assessment and the president has been very precise when she said that, to place, as they say, the dot on the 'i'”, she assured in the face of any attempt to distort the real purpose of this commission, which is a proposal aimed at valuing and classifying public goods associated with the productive act.

He explained that the purpose is to determine which companies are strategic, which do not have that qualification and based on that consideration, to take the action and decision that may also apply, always oriented in terms of being able to support the development of economic activity.

He recalled that the commission will develop four elements, establishing what strategic public goods are, how are the public-private alliances that have been established, if they are operational, what their level of activity is and if they can be improved. Thirdly, within this assessment, determine which ones are not strategic, which can be offered and also which can be liquidated.

He reiterated that the President-in-Charge has been clear and transparent, the commission's work is associated with the economic fact, “with the purpose of optimizing the productive infrastructure and placing it at the service of the population, in order to accompany that central guideline that I set out days ago regarding the expansion of the productive force, the increase in the quantity of goods and services, with the purpose of continuing to advance in productive expansion.”