REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT IN VENEZUELA, MARCH 2026
Carlos García Soto
Partner
This LEĜA Perspectives aims to summarize the most important aspects of the regulatory environment of private enterprise in Venezuela, during March 2026.
The report has two parts: (i) it indicates which impact regulations were issued and (ii) it includes the appointments of government authorities, which may be of interest to private companies.
I. Regulations
- Minimum share capital for the incorporation, operation and operation of banking institutions and exchange houses
In the Official Gazette 43.342 of March 25, 2026, Resolution No. 010.26, which dictates the “Rules Relating to the minimum share capital for the constitution, operation and operation of Banking Institutions and Exchange Houses”.
- Venezuelan Red Cross Law
The Venezuelan Red Cross Law was published in Official Gazette No. 6,995 of March 10, 2026.
II. Appointments
- Attorney General of the Republic
In the Official Gazette No. 43,341 of March 24, 2026, Decree No. 5,300 was published, appointing Arianny Viviana Seijo Noguera as Attorney General of the Republic.
In the Official Gazette No. 43,341 of March 24, 2026, the Agreement of the National Assembly was published authorizing the President in charge of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, citizen Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, to appoint Arianny Viviana Seijo Noguera, as Attorney General of the Republic.
- Chargé d’Affaires Ad Hoc, at the Embassy of Venezuela in Washington D.C.
Official Gazette No. 43,342 of March 25, 2026, published Resolution No. DM/No. 096, appointing Félix Ramón Plasencia González, as Chargé d’Affaires Ad Hoc, at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the city of Washington D.C., United States of America.
- Ambassador to Colombia
In the Official Gazette No. 43,341 of March 24, 2026, the Agreement of the National Assembly was published authorizing the President in Charge of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, to appoint Ramón Orlando Maniglia Ferreira, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of Colombia.
- Director General of Inspection of the Vice Ministry of Government Management Monitoring
In the Official Gazette No. 43,337 of March 17, 2026, Resolution No. 017-2026 was published, appointing Francisco Vilela De la Torre, as Director General of Inspection of the Vice Ministry of Monitoring of Government Management, of the Ministry of People’s Power of the Office of the Presidency and Monitoring of Government Management, as a manager.
- Sectoral Vice President of Public Works and Services
In the Official Gazette No. 7,002 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,280 was published, appointing Juan José Ramírez Luces as Sectoral Vice President of Public Works and Services.
- Minister of People’s Power for the Social Labor Process
In the Official Gazette No. 7,004 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,282 was published, appointing Carlos Alexis Castillo Ascanio, as Minister of People’s Power for the Social Labor Process, as head of office.
- Vice-President of the International Centre for Productive Investment
In the Official Gazette No. 43,336 of March 16, 2026, Ruling No. 006-2026 was published, appointing Marco Antonio Magallanes Grillet, as Vice President of the International Center for Productive Investment, as head of the Order.
- Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Trade
In the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 7,015 of March 24, 2026, Decree No. 5,301 was published, appointing Johann Carlos Álvarez Márquez, as Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Trade, as person in charge.
- Minister of People’s Power for Electric Energy
In the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 7,001 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,279 was published, appointing Rolando José Alcalá Miranda as Minister of People’s Power for Electric Energy.
- Minister of People’s Power for Habitat and Housing
In the Official Gazette No. 7,000 on March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,278 was published, appointing Jorge Elieser Márquez Monsalve as Minister of People’s Power for Habitat and Housing.
- Minister of People’s Power for Transport
In the Official Gazette No. 7,003 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,281 was published, appointing the citizen Jacqueline Coromoto Faría Pineda, as Minister of People’s Power for Transport.
- Minister of People’s Power for University Education
In the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 7,009 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,287 was published, appointing Ana María Sanjuán Martínez as Minister of People’s Power for University Education.
- Minister of People’s Power for Culture
In the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 7,008 of March 18, 2026, Decree No. 5,286 was published, appointing Dimas Raúl Nicolás Cazal Acosta, as Minister of People’s Power for Culture.
- Presidential Commissioner for the Labor Constituent Assembly and Labor Consensus
In the Official Gazette 43,341 of March 24, 2026, Decree No. 5,302 was published, appointing Germán Eduardo Piñate Rodríguez as Presidential Commissioner for the Labor Constituent Assembly and Labor Consensus.
- Director-General in charge of the Administrative Service for Identification, Migration and Aliens (SAIME)
In the Official Gazette No. 7,016 extraordinary of March 30, 2026, Decree No. 5,305 was published, appointing Hendrick José Perdomo Colmenares as Director General in Charge of the Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Foreigners (SAIME), hierarchically dependent on the Ministry of People’s Power for Interior Affairs, Justice and Peace.
- Legal Consultant at SUDEBAN
In the Official Gazette No. 43.330 of March 6, 2026, Resolution No. 009.26 was published, appointing Doyrali de Jesús Saravia Meleán, as Legal Consultant, of the Superintendence of Banking Sector Institutions.
- Appointments in the hydrocarbons sector
The following appointments in the hydrocarbons sector were published in Official Gazette 43,335 of March 13, 2026:
Decree No. 5,272, appointing Cindy Alejandra Rondón Córdova, as Deputy Minister of Gas; and Albania del Mar Villarroel Gómez is appointed as Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Productive Efficiency in Hydrocarbons, as head of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons.
Decree No. 5,273, appointing those mentioned therein as members of the Board of Directors of the State Company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.
The following appointments in the hydrocarbons sector were published in Official Gazette 43,342 of March 25, 2026:
Resolution No. 005/2026, appointing Raiza Yelitza Omaña Barbesi, as Director General of Oil Taxes and Royalties of the Office of the Vice Minister of Petroleum, of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, as head of the Petroleum.
Resolution No. 006/2026, appointing Marisol del Valle Perozo Vásquez, as General Director of Oil Production of the Office of the Vice Minister of Petroleum, of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, in the capacity of person in charge.
Resolution No. 007/2026, appointing Leonardo Arturo Morgado Vielma, as Director General of Oil Exploration of the Office of the Vice Minister of Petroleum, of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, in the capacity of person in charge.
In the Official Gazette No. 43,329 of March 5, 2026, Resolution No. 002/2025 was published, appointing Gladys Patricia Gómez Méndez, as Legal Consultant of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, as person in charge.
Official Gazette 43.338 of March 19, 2026, the following appointments were published:
Resolution No. 003/2026, appointing Jhonny Antonio Peña Melo as Director General of the Office of Administrative Management of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, as head of the Hydrocarbons Ministry.
Resolution No. 004/2026, appointing Orandy del Valle Rodríguez Gutiérrez, as Director General of the Office of the Ministry of People’s Power of Hydrocarbons, in the capacity of person in charge.
- Appointments in the mining sector
The following appointments in the mining sector were published in Official Gazette 43,342 of March 25, 2026:
Ruling No. 0001, appointing Alirio José Giménez Pérez as Vice President of the ALUMINUM SECTOR of the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation.
Ruling No. 00002, appointing Oscar Alejandro Alzuro Palacios as President of the Mercantile Company CVG BAUXILUM, C.A.
Ruling No. 0003, appointing Javier Humberto Quero Pérez as President of the Mercantile Company COMPAÑÍA OPERADORA DEL PUERTO DE PALÚA (COPAL).
- Presidential Inspector for Electrical Affairs
In the Official Gazette No. 43,339 of March 20, 2026, Decree No. 5,296 was published, appointing Paola Carolina Gómez Rivero, as Presidential Inspector for Electrical Affairs, in the position of person in charge.
- Appointments in the telecommunications sector
A. Director General of the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL)
In the Official Gazette No. 6,992 of March 5, 2026, Decree No. 5,263 was published, appointing Enrique José Quintana Sifontes, as Director General of the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL), attached to the Ministry of People’s Power for Communication and Information.
B. President of the Venezuelan Telecommunications Corporation (COVETEL) S.A.
In the Official Gazette No. 43,327 of March 3, 2026, Resolution No. 017-2026 was published, appointing Amarilis del Valle Hidalgo Sassone, as President of the Venezuelan Telecommunications Corporation (COVETEL) S.A., an entity attached to the Ministry of People’s Power for Communication and Information.
Contacts:
LEĜA Abogados
infolaw@lega.law
+58 (212) 277.22.00
www.lega.law
Carlos García Soto
cgarciasoto@lega.law
+58 414 2361240
The objective of the LEĜA Perspectives is to provide information to the clients and related of LEĜA. This LEĜA Perspective reflects the point of view of its author. Readers should not act on the basis of the information contained in this LEĜA Perspective, without first obtaining specific legal advice. This LEĜA Perspectives can be reproduced, in whole or in part, always indicating its author, source and origin in a prominent way.
©2022 LEĜA Abogados.