Following President Maduro’s statement overnight on restructuring Venezuelan debt, bonds of the nation’s state-owned energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), have collapsed, with CDS pricing in a 99% probability of default…
As we detailed last night, during a nationwide TV address, Venezuela’s socialist president Nicolas Maduro said the country will seek to restructure its global debt after the state-owned oil company makes the PDVSA payment due at midnight. Maduro blamed a financial blockade that is preventing the nation from rolling over its debt, according to Bloomberg.
“I decree a refinancing and restructuring of all foreign debt and all Venezuelan payments,” Maduro said. “We’re going to a complete reformatting. To find an equilibrium, and to cover the necessities of the country, the investments of the country.”
“We have had to face a real global financial persecution,” Maduro said, adding that OPEC member Venezuela had paid $71.7 billion in debt since he came to power in 2013, despite losing $100 billion in revenues to falling oil income. Too bad he didn’t blame the “speculators” for the collapse of his socialist paradise.
“If Venezuela wants to refinance one of its bonds, it is prohibited by the global financial dictatorship,” Maduro added according to Reuters, warning that “they will never suffocate us. We will never surrender to the U.S. empire,” he added, also criticizing Colombia for allegedly blocking a shipment of medicines under U.S. pressure.
And the fallout has begun this morning.
Ray Zucaro, chief investment officer at Miami-based RVX Asset Management, who holds Venezuelan debt, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that President Nicolas Maduro’s announcement that Venezuela will seek to restructure its global debt means “tomorrow will be ugly for bondholders.”
He was right! While Venezuelan sovereign debt is mixed, PDVSA’s bonds are bloodbathing…
And PDVSA CDS surged over 800bps to new highs…
Implying a default probability (given standardized 25% recovery expectations – which admittedly may be high) of 99%!
Interestingly, Bitcoin spiked overnight to new record highs at $7500 – with volume surging as Maduro began to speak…
