Asdrúbal Chávez
Former PDVSA and Citgo President
At a glance
Asdrúbal Chávez is a Venezuelan oil executive and a cousin of Hugo Chávez who served as president of CITGO and later as president of PDVSA.
Who is Asdrúbal Chávez?
Asdrúbal José Chávez Jiménez is a chemical engineer who spent his career inside PDVSA before being appointed CEO of CITGO Petroleum, PDVSA's U.S. refining subsidiary, in 2014. He has subsequently held senior PDVSA leadership roles. He is a first cousin of Hugo Chávez.
CITGO is the central asset in any analysis of Venezuela's U.S.-jurisdiction footprint: it is the ultimate collateral behind PDVSA 2020 bonds and the contested asset in the Crystallex-led writ-of-execution proceedings in Delaware. Asdrúbal Chávez's tenure spans the period in which CITGO's control passed effectively to U.S. courts.
Also known as: Asdrúbal José Chávez Jiménez.
Network & connections
The following figures are part of Asdrúbal Chávez's direct political, cabinet, or institutional network — useful for compliance teams mapping the wider Venezuelan power structure:
Sources & further reading
Useful tools and explainers
- Browse all active OFAC Venezuela SDN designations — the live US Treasury tracker for individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft.
- OFAC Venezuela sanctions checker — paste any name to check it against the active SDN list.
- Sector context for Asdrúbal Chávez's role — regulatory framework, OFAC pathways, and current deal flow.
- How to invest in Venezuela (2026 sanctions-safe guide)
- Browse all Venezuelan power figures
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