• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
FinanceDebt

Venezuelan Bondholders Are Preparing for a Fight if the Country Defaults on its $60 Billion Debt

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 21, 2017, 9:30 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Holders of Venezuelan bonds are meeting with each other and considering forming committees, advisers and fund managers told Reuters, as questions mount about the feasibility of President Nicolas Maduro’s proposal to restructure $60 billion of debt.

Maduro has said the country will keep servicing its obligations for now. But bondholders ranging from longstanding investment funds to hedge funds and emerging markets funds in the United States and elsewhere are starting to lay the foundations for a potentially bitter and messy battle over a possible default down the road.

A UK-based hedge fund, MacroSynergy Partners, has invited institutional holders of Venezuelan and state-owned oil company PDVSA debt to a Nov. 30 meeting in London to discuss the likely path forward and the next steps for creditors, according to an invitation seen by Reuters.

Participants will also discuss whether to create an informal, ad hoc bondholder committee, the invitation said.

While Venezuela has kept current on its bond payments, it has paid some coupons late, leading ratings agencies to declare a selective default and keeping creditors guessing. Another $237 million in interest payments were due on Tuesday but market sources said there was no sign of the funds hitting their accounts yet.

Venezuela failed to make those payments within the grace period, credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s said late on Tuesday, announcing it was downgrading the ratings on Venezuela’s global bonds due 2025 and 2026 to ‘D’ from ‘CC.’

In the United States, Millstein & Co’s head of sovereign advisory Mark Walker said he had met with an initial group of more than 20 creditors regarding the formation of a possible committee. He declined to name the creditors, citing confidentiality.

Bank industry group the Institute of International Finance has also been looking at forming a creditors’ committee, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

It was unclear how many groups would ultimately form.

Creditors have also been organizing conference calls, and holding improvised meetings in Caracas hotels, investors have said.

For any restructuring to work, advisers and fund managers said two main conditions need to be met: the removal of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela that block U.S. banks from acquiring newly issued Venezuelan debt, and a commitment by Maduro to economic reforms.

Neither is likely to be met any time soon.

For more on Venezuela, watch Fortune’s video:

Many in Venezuela’s once-prosperous economy are suffering from food shortages and preventable disease against a backdrop of steep inflation triggered by years of government mismanagement. The government blames a fall in oil prices and a U.S.-led “economic war” for Venezuela’s financial mess.

“You can’t have a viable restructuring without a credible economic plan and a government with the commitment and competence to execute it,” said Walker, who advised on Greece’s restructuring while working at Lazard.

“If creditors are asked to take a hit now, they need to have reason to believe that they will be better off in the future,” he added.

But Maduro’s socialist government has consolidated power this year, creating a new rubber stamp constituent assembly, and has shown little interest in economic reform.

That lack of flexibility is likely if anything to lead to still tougher sanctions by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has described Maduro as a “bad leader who dreams of becoming a dictator.”

Venezuela’s Information Ministry and PDVSA did not respond to a request for comment.

Also key to any restructuring is the willingness of groups beyond the bondholders to spread the financial burden, advisers said.

Venezuela’s $60 billion in bonds is estimated to be only a third of the country’s total debt, with the rest in the hands of Russia and China.

Russia last week agreed a debt restructuring deal with Venezuela, while China voiced confidence in the government’s handling of the debt issue.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Michael Shaulov, chief executive officer and co-founder of Fireblocks Inc.
CryptoCFO Daily
Why CFOs should pay attention to Open USD—the new stablecoin backed by more than 140 companies
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 2, 2026
33 minutes ago
Scott Bessent, US treasury secretary, during an Economic Club of New York (ECNY) event in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Economynational debt
Elon Musk says AI is the only way to fix the $40 trillion U.S. debt crisis—but a new study says even the most optimistic scenario won’t fill the hole
By Eleanor PringleJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
em
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America’s 250th birthday has Elon Musk and a record IPO. Its 15th had Alexander Hamilton — and a stock market bubble
By Owen LamontJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
paramount
CommentaryAntitrust
How Paramount’s theater commitments could boost local economies across the nation
By Ike BrannonJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Top CD rates today, July 2, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, July 2, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on July 2, 2026
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.