Relationship dossier
Switzerland
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Swiss sanctions and Venezuela’s rejection of them have been a central source of bilateral friction.
Switzerland toward Venezuela
-25Switzerland imposed targeted measures against Venezuelan officials, including travel restrictions and asset freezes, and restricted arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression.
Venezuela toward Switzerland
-10Venezuela’s government rejected and criticized Switzerland’s sanctions against Venezuelan officials and related restrictions.
Overall relationship
-20The relationship has been shaped by Switzerland’s targeted sanctions over human rights and democratic concerns and Venezuela’s opposition to those measures. This dispute constitutes concrete bilateral friction; the breadth of cooperation in other areas is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Switzerland imposed targeted sanctions on Venezuelan officials and restrictions on arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, citing concerns over human rights and democratic conditions. Venezuela's government rejected and criticized the measures. These actions have created bilateral friction, while the scope of other government-to-government cooperation is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Swiss sanctions targeting Venezuelan officials and restricting arms and equipment associated with internal repression.
Key developments
Switzerland imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials and restrictions on arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression.
Venezuela’s government rejected and criticized the Swiss sanctions.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of bilateral cooperation outside the sanctions dispute is unclear.
- The practical effects of the Swiss measures on bilateral government relations are uncertain.