Venezuela central bank says it and US hired firms to audit assets abroad

By Mayela Armas

CARACAS, April 27 (Reuters) - Venezuela's central bank said on Monday that it and the United States have each hired firms to audit assets held abroad by the South American country, though it did not name the firms.

The effort is meant to ensure impartiality, the bank said in a statement.

"Regarding financial resources associated with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela held abroad... the U.S. government hired one auditing firm and the Venezuelan government another," the statement said, quoting a Friday presentation by bank President Luis Alberto Perez.

"Having the Republic's assets audited by external consultants gives us peace of mind. The country must have full confidence that resources are going where they should and reaching where they should," Perez said.

Three sources in Caracas previously told Reuters that U.S. firm Deloitte had been hired to conduct an audit at the central bank, and that it will include a review of foreign currency exchange auctions and operations in gold, among other things.

Deloitte did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was unclear which country may have hired it.

The Trump administration earlier this month issued a general license that allows financial transactions involving certain Venezuelan banks and Venezuelan government individuals, as it loosens some restrictions following the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela is heading into a period of "exchange-rate stability and falling inflation," Perez said in the statement, adding gross domestic product grew in the first quarter of 2026.

"There are reasons to believe that the national economy will perform well in the coming quarters and that inflation will fall," he told members of the banking association, regulators and officials at the Friday event.

The bank is designing measures to make it easier for individuals and companies to buy and sell foreign currency through official mechanisms, Perez said.

The scarcity of dollars, which many Venezuelan companies need to bring in imports, has forced some to turn to cryptocurrencies or unofficial exchange markets with higher rates.

Annualized inflation in Venezuela was 649.4% through March, according to Reuters calculations based on central bank figures.

The International Monetary Fund will likely provide Venezuela with a financial support program as part of its reengagement with the country, provided that certain conditions can be met, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said earlier this month, after both the fund and the World Bank announced new dealings with Venezuela. (Reporting by Mayela Armas; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Bill Berkrot)