"I am a diplomat, my personal belongings here are protected so far… but the bank accounts of our mission and also our properties in Washington were taken, and the consulate in New York was taken," Moncada said.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to block the property of Venezuela’s government in US jurisdiction, including the assets of the country’s central bank and the PDVSA oil company.
Moncada explained that it has become nearly impossible for Venezuela to maintain its diplomatic presence in the United States because the financial resources used to provide for basic operations, such as attaining access to the Internet, transport and water, have been blocked.
"We have not been able to get one single dollar through one bank account at any bank in the United States for more than a year," Moncada said.
Asked how does the Venezuelan government pay salaries to its United Nations mission staff, Moncada said the government cannot and does not use the blocked bank accounts, but did not elaborate further.
