Venezuela’s Collapse Unlocks $5B Hedge Fund Bet on a Maduro Ouster
The brutal implosion of the Venezuelan state has triggered a massive, under-the-radar wave of distressed asset accumulation, with Wall Street hedge funds now holding $5 billion in defaulted sovereign bonds betting on regime change. Amid runaway hyperinflation and a 75% GDP contraction that has turned Caracas into a ghost metropolis, these vulture funds are positioning for a forced repatriation of Citgo, the U.S.-based refiner seized by creditors. The endgame is clear: a liquidity event driven by a political exit, turning Venezuela’s rubble into a high-stakes $20 billion payout.