On June 24, 2026, CASETEL (Venezuelan Telecommunications Chamber) released its official interpretation of US OFAC General License 24A. It clarifies that foreign A2P SMS service providers may not terminate traffic directly on Venezuelan networks. All traffic must transit via locally‑registered member providers within CASETEL to reach carrier internal network channels. This governs routing, settlement and blocking rules and serves as the primary policy reference for cross‑border A2P inflows into Venezuela.
According to the interpretation, although OFAC General License 24A permits global telecom operators to establish communications links with Venezuela, authorisation is not open‑ended and imposes strict mandatory relay‑architecture requirements. Overseas A2P aggregators and international SMS wholesalers cannot establish direct SMPP connections with Venezuela’s three major carriers: Movistar, Digitel and Movilnet. They must first connect to CASETEL‑registered local member providers acting as compliant relay nodes, which then deliver messages through carrier internal networks.
The framework pursues three core objectives. First, inbound international SMS routing is traceable; every cross‑border A2P traffic item maps to a legal local access entity for CONATEL supervision and auditing. Second, international SMS settlement workflows are standardised. The chamber coordinates cross‑border tariffs and revenue‑sharing rules to mitigate disruption caused by grey‑route traffic to carrier settlement systems. Third, content enforcement is strengthened. Local relay providers must deploy prohibited‑content filtering and anti‑fraud blocking per CONATEL requirements. Non‑compliant traffic is blocked before entering carrier core networks.
CASETEL further stresses that cross‑border A2P traffic routed without CASETEL‑registered member relays qualifies as grey‑route traffic, which carriers have full authority to block. Foreign providers bypassing this compliance framework face both OFAC compliance risks and dual sanctions from Venezuelan regulators. Following this interpretation, compliance pathways for international aggregators entering Venezuela have tightened, making locally‑registered relay members a mandatory gateway for cross‑border A2P operations.
