GL-61A

Summary

General License No. 61A authorizes all transactions otherwise prohibited by the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR part 591) that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the provision of goods, technology, software, or services from the United States or by a U.S. person for the installation, maintenance, refurbishment, repair, upgrade, operation, or support of telecommunications in Venezuela. The license covers a broad range of telecommunications activities including data, telephone, internet connectivity, radio, television, and satellite or submarine cable transmission. It replaces and supersedes General License No. 61, dated August 21, 2026, effective August 27, 2026.

Authorized activities

• Provision of goods, technology, software, or services for the installation, maintenance, refurbishment, repair, upgrade, operation, or support of telecommunications in Venezuela
• Processing payments and arranging shipping, including air freight, logistics, warehousing, insurance, and delivery services
• Interconnection and roaming agreements
• Capacity or infrastructure leases
• Laying, maintenance, repair, refurbishment, upgrade, security, operation, or support of submarine cables and other telecommunications infrastructure or equipment
• Provision, licensing, renewal, maintenance, or support of related software, systems, and services
• Transactions involving the Government of Venezuela, including CONATEL and CANTV, that are ordinarily incident and necessary to telecommunications provision

Conditions

Contracts with the Government of Venezuela (including CONATEL and CANTV) must require dispute resolution proceedings to occur in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, or Singapore. Payment terms must be commercially reasonable and may not involve debt swaps, payments in gold, or Venezuelan government-issued digital currency (including the petro). Transactions involving persons in or organized under the laws of Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or China are excluded, as are transactions involving blocked vessels, the unblocking of blocked property, and the formation of new joint ventures in Venezuela's telecommunications sector. Compliance with other federal agency requirements (FCC, Committee for Assessment of Foreign Participation, and Commerce/BIS) is still required.

Reporting requirement

Any person that exports, reexports, sells, resells, or supplies goods, technology, software, or services pursuant to this general license must provide a detailed report to Sanctions_inbox@state.gov identifying: (1) the parties involved; (2) the goods, technology, software, or services involved, including quantities and values; (3) the dates the transactions occurred; and (4) any taxes, fees, or other payments provided to the Government of Venezuela. Reports are due ten days after the execution of the first such transaction and every 90 days thereafter while such transactions are ongoing.