Venezuela aims for historic $240 billion debt restructuring

The amount is significantly larger than previous market estimates of $150-200 billion.

According to the financial newspaper's sources, an accounting of the debts will be made in the coming weeks.

Delcy Rodríguez, the country's leader since U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro in January, wants to settle with lenders on debt write-downs before the end of the year. She has hired investment bank Centerview Partners as an advisor and hopes this will pave the way for Venezuela to issue bonds on the market again.

Venezuela has been excluded from the bond market for almost ten years.