WASHINGTON, April 14 — A group of finance ministers is working on a US$10 billion (RM40 billion) package of trade finance that could be made available to help Venezuela out of its economic and humanitarian crisis once a new government is put in place, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said yesterday.

A group of 20 mostly Western finance ministers that met earlier this week in Washington is "going to be working on trying to put together a consortium of about US$10 billion of trade finance that would be available for the new government to spark trade,” Mnuchin said in a press conference.

Venezuela is mired in a deep economic crisis marked by widespread food and medicine shortages and hyperinflation, while millions have fled to neighbouring countries. Economic output has declined every year since 2014 and is expected to contract 25 per cent in 2019.

More than 50 countries including the United States and Venezuela’s largest neighbours have recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, as the South American nation’s leader.

Russia and others recognise Nicolas Maduro, the socialist president and successor to the late Hugo Chavez, as the legitimate head of state. — AFP