📢 IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Venezuelan Oil Holocaust (2002–2003)

Dear families,

We want to explain to you, in a simple and transparent way, what is happening in the courts of the United States and why this is an important sign of hope, even though the legal process continues.

1️.- What has recently changed?

In the first days of January 2026, several very significant events occurred:

. The regime responsible for the dismissals and persecution of oil workers is no longer in power.

. The authorities of the United States officially recognize that this regime operated as a criminal structure, linked to drug trafficking and repression.

. The Venezuelan oil assets under judicial control in the U.S. are no longer considered merely “businesses,” but assets connected to serious human rights violations.

This completely changes the landscape.

2️.- What does this mean for the victims?

For the first time, the courts are clearly acknowledging that:

. You are not ordinary creditors.

. You are victims of political and labor persecution.

. The harm you suffered was not an administrative mistake, but part of a policy of punishment and exclusion.

That matters. A lot.

3️.- What exactly is being requested from the court?

Nothing exaggerated or impossible is being requested. What is being asked is modest, reasonable, and fair:

👉 That a small portion of the money coming from those oil assets,

👉 between 1% and 5%,

👉 be set aside and protected in a special fund called a QSF (Qualified Settlement Fund).

This fund would serve exclusively to:

. Recognize the victims of the Oil Holocaust.

. Protect that money while the legal processes continue.

. Prevent human harm from being forgotten or erased.

4️.- Does this put the victims at risk?

No. The judicial documents themselves clearly state that:

. There is no longer any risk of reprisals.

. Victims can be acknowledged without fear.

. The political context that once prevented justice no longer exists.

This is very important for those who, for years, remained silent out of fear.

5️.- Who is opposing this and why?

Some institutions that manage oil assets continue to oppose setting aside money for the victims. But now the judges have been clear:

If those institutions were authorized to protect the assets of the Venezuelan people, they cannot block reparations for the victims, because doing so would betray that mandate.

This was written explicitly in the judicial record.

6️.- Does this mean the money is already secured?

No. And it is important to say this honestly. This is not yet a payment, nor a final rule.

It is a key step, perhaps the most important one in more than 20 years.

What exists today is:

. A real opportunity.

. An open legal window.

. A judicial acknowledgment of the harm suffered.

Nothing more. But also, nothing less.

7️.- What happens next?

In the coming days:

. The judges will review objections and requests.

. They will decide whether or not to reserve that fund.

. They will evaluate how to protect the victims’ rights as the process continues.

This is a slow process, but for the first time, it is moving in the right direction.

8️.- A final message, with respect.

We know many of you are tired. That others are no longer here. That there are children and grandchildren carrying a story they did not choose.

None of this erases the pain. But today we can say something that for years was impossible: Justice has begun to listen.

We will continue to provide updates only when there is real and verifiable information, with the commitment to avoid creating false expectations and to always maintain respect for every family.

With dignity and truth,

Dr. Leroy A. Garrett