MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela donated US$ 500.000 to the inauguration of President Donald Trump

The payment for Trump's inauguration was reportedly made through Citgo, a US subsidiary of Venezuelan PDVSA.

Venezuela has donated US$500,000 to US President Donald Trump's inauguration, newly released records show. Citgo Petroleum, a US-based subsidiary of the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, is named in papers filed with the Federal Election Commission.

 The revelation comes as the Venezuelan economy appears to be crippled by food shortages, violent crime and inflation. Three people were killed in protests on Wednesday as tens of thousands took to the streets to demand new elections.

Other major corporations named in the documents include Pepsi and Walmart, which gave US$250,000 and US$150,000 respectively, while owners of NFL teams or their companies gave more than US$5m. Casino owner and billionaire Sheldon Adelson also gave US$5m.

Venezuela is in the middle of a major economic crisis, which has the oil-rich country flirting with hyperinflation. Street protests demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro resulted in at least three persons shot dead.

In this chaotic context, it is perhaps less surprising that Venezuelan media did not seem to dedicate much time to cover the news that their government gave, through a state-owned oil company, a US$500,000 contribution to Donald Trump's inauguration.

The payment was reportedly made through Citgo, a US subsidiary of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. It is not the first time Citgo has been involved in politically controversial activities in the US.

President Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, used the company a few years ago to provide subsidized fuel to low-income citizens in several major US cities. His critics said then it was a propaganda ploy designed to annoy his ideological rivals at the White House. But now the Maduro administration would seem to be in a less confrontational mode towards Washington.

The Venezuelan president has recently been quoted saying that Trump has been the target of a “brutal hate campaign” and added that he “won't be worse than Obama”.