US ETF provider files for first Venezuela-focused fund after turmoil

By Johann M Cherian and Shashwat Chauhan

Jan 7 (Reuters) – A U.S. ETF provider has sought approval to launch the first-ever exchange-traded fund tracking companies exposed to Venezuela, as the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend sparked a rally in local assets.

Vermont-based Teucrium filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday for the launch of Teucrium Venezuela Exposure ETF.

The ETF will track stocks and depositary receipts of companies either classified as Venezuelan or deriving at least 50% of revenue from the South American country, or based in major trading partners with significant exports to Venezuela.

A Teucrium spokesperson told Reuters the company had been working on the ETF prior to the recent events. The firm has more than $518 million in assets under management mostly in commodities and crypto, according to VettaFi’s ETF database.

The local Bursatil stock index has surged more than 90% in dollar terms since Monday, adding to the gains since late-2025 on hopes that a post-Maduro Venezuela could pave the way for potential debt restructuring and investments in its massive reserves of oil and minerals.

“While the filing for a Venezuela ETF highlights growing headline interest, the underlying market remains small, illiquid and subject to extreme policy uncertainty,” said Romain Bordenave, emerging market debt and FX portfolio manager at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management.

“The recent move in local equities looks more like a sentiment trade until there is clarity on sanctions, macro policy, and institutional credibility.”

Investors shunned Venezuelan assets as the resources-rich country, under pressure from severe U.S. sanctions, defaulted on its external debt in 2017.

ETFs have become popular, especially among retail traders, as the rise of low-cost, no-commission brokerages such as Robinhood and Interactive Brokers makes it easier and cheaper to access the market.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)