Aktualisierte Sanktionsmeldung: Guatemala
Executive Summary
The Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) has published an update to Annex 2 of the Ordinance on Measures concerning Guatemala (SR 946.231.137.6), aligning Swiss sanctions with international developments targeting threats to democracy and rule of law in Guatemala. This matters for Swiss financial institutions as it mandates immediate screening and blocking of newly designated persons/entities to prevent sanctions violations, reinforcing Switzerland's commitment to international sanctions regimes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in Central America. https://www.finma.ch/en/news/2025/06/20250626-sr-946-231-137-6/ #
What Changed
- Amendment to Annex 2 of SR 946.231.137.6, likely adding or updating designations of individuals, groups, or entities involved in undermining Guatemala's democracy, rule of law, or election integrity, consistent with parallel EU actions. - Measures include asset freezes (prohibiting Swiss persons from dealing with designated assets) and transaction prohibitions, with independent freezing by FINMA where required under Swiss law. - Updates are published in the Federal Gazette and integrated into FINMA's continuously maintained sanctions lists for automated screening. https://www.finma.ch/en/news/2025/06/20250626-sr-946-231-137-6/ https://www.finma.ch/en/documentation/international-sanctions-and-combating-terrorism/international-sanctions-and-independent-freezing-measures/ #
What You Need To Do
- Immediate screening
- Enhanced due diligence
- System updates
Key Dates
Compliance Impact
Urgency: High - Swiss sanctions take effect immediately upon publication, exposing non-compliant firms to FINMA enforcement (fines up to CHF 1M, reputational damage). This aligns with rising geopolitical risks flagged in FINMA Risk Monitor 2025, where sanctions evasion amid corruption flows could trigger audits; failure risks secondary sanctions under EU/US regimes. https://www.finma.ch/en/news/20
Who is Affected
Summary
Das Eidgenössische Departement für Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung WBF hat eine Änderung des Anhangs der Verordnung über Massnahmen betreffend Guatemala (SR 946.231.137.6) publiziert.