International
Prosecutor’s Office reveals details of corruption scheme in Venezuela
March 27 |
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, confirmed on Saturday that the corruption scheme in Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) involved the National Superintendence of Crypto-assets (Sunacrip) and implied “parallel operations” with crude oil cargoes in ships, without “any type” of administrative control or guarantees, “failing to comply with the contracting regulations”.
“Once the legally assigned crude was commercialized, the corresponding payments to PDVSA were not made, that is where we are seeing the patrimonial damage, the party that makes a negotiation outside the law does not comply with the payments, we are clearly seeing the criminal modality that they used”, he said.
Saab also informed that it was determined that the network used a conglomerate of mercantile companies to legitimize the capital obtained from the sales, through the acquisition of crypto-assets, movable and immovable goods, investments in the construction and real estate sector and demonstrating a “lifestyle that does not correspond to any public official”.
The prosecutor added that young people were recruited to be included in the money laundering network and that they were rewarded “with a lavish, illegal and criminal lifestyle”.
The detainees will be charged with appropriation of public assets, influence peddling, money laundering and association. The public officials will also be charged with the crime of treason.
In a press conference this Saturday, through the State channel, a video was released showing some of the arrests, warehouses where machines used for bitcoin mining were located and operations for the seizure of assets, including airplanes, buildings and fleets of vehicles.
“The assets of these subjects obtained in an illicit manner are already under safekeeping, it is an important recovery”, he insisted.
The prosecutor avoided specifying specific figures on the patrimonial damage, arguing that they are in an “investigation phase”.
Saab specified that ten officials and eleven businessmen were arrested for the corruption scheme.
The officials are: Antonio José Pérez Suárez, vice-president of Commerce and Supply of PDVSA and whom he pointed out as “main boss” of the corruption structure; Joselit Ramírez Camacho, now former superintendent of Sunacrip, who appears in a list of the US Department of Homeland Security of wanted for “money laundering and evasion of sanctions”.
In addition, the now former congressman Hugbel Roa, who, according to the prosecutor, used his position as congressman of the National Assembly to manage the assignment of crude oil loading contracts to operators who then did not pay, and who he described as “one of the most brazen of the criminal gang”.
José Agustín Ramos, Yamil Alejandro Martínez, Oduardo José Bordones, Heinrich Chapellín Biundo and Jesús Enrique Salazar, officials of PDVSA’s vice-presidency of Commerce and Supply, with responsibility for the operations of contracting, trading, loading and transportation of crude oil abroad, detailed the prosecutor.
Rajiv Alberto Mosqueda and Reny Gerardo Barrientos, both officials of the Intendencia de Minería Digital, were also arrested.
The businessmen are Manuel Meneces, who was identified as a financial operator and advisor to the head of the structure; Roger Martínez, “coordinator of financial operations and liaison between public officials and associated businessmen”; Rafael Perdomo and Roger Perdomo, “brothers who acted as associated businessmen and national financial operators to legitimize criminals”.
In addition, Daniel Prieto, “associated businessman and financial operator at national and international level who was arrested in the Dominican Republic at the request of the Venezuelan State.
He also mentioned Cristopher Barrios, Joana Torres, Alejandro Arroyo, Bernando Arosio, Fernando Bermudez and Leonardo Torres.
“All of them linked to this corruption network, with the same modality, laundering money, legitimizing capitals, they were assigned millionaire contracts that they almost never fulfilled, even since Hugbel Roa was Minister of Food”, specified Saab.
Saab announced that arrest warrants were released for eleven more persons: Juan Manuel Afonso and Manuel Ramón Afonso, “brothers as associated businessmen and international financial operators to legitimize illegally obtained capitals”; William Ribas, Ximena Parada, Eduardo Noriega, José Luis Ferrandiz, Olvanis Gaspari, Railyn Elizabeth Yépez, Rodolfo Moleiro, Alejandro Londoño and Yurabic Ravelo, regarding the latter he did not specify how they are involved.
“Several of these ladies who appear as captors to legitimize capital for these subjects appear to be linked,” he added.
The prosecutor made special mention to Pedro Hernández, mayor of the Santos Michelena municipality in Aragua state in the center of the country, arrested for his links with “El Conejo”, one of the most wanted criminals in Venezuela and who was killed this week, as confirmed on Friday by the Minister of the Interior, Remigio Ceballo.
“This mayor financed and supported with State resources parties, public events and logistic material of criminal groups, among them this guy’s (…) the maximum penalty will be applied to this group of people”, he assured.
Regarding the mayor, Saab accused him of having direct links with the criminal Héctor Guerrero, alias “el niño Guerrero”, who leads “terrorist cells at international level” in countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile.
The mayor was charged with the crimes of aggravated extortion, terrorism, obstruction of the freedom of commerce, aggravated criminal association, money laundering and treason.
The prosecutor reiterated that attorney Cristóbal Cornieles Perret, president of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of Caracas and José Mascimino Márquez, fourth judge of Control with competence in cases related to terrorism crimes, were arrested for having dropped charges and granted a substitutive measure to Cheremo Carrasquel, a man prosecuted as a member of the Ten del Llano, an organized crime group.
He also confirmed that, in Falcón State, attorney Bracho Gómez was arrested for having agreed to deliver motor vehicles that were subject to a precautionary seizure measure.
Regarding members of the former interim government, Saab reminded that they have opened approximately 22 investigations for crimes of usurpation of functions, capital legitimization, terrorism, corruption and treason, among others.
“We have achieved 288 arrest warrants, 129 people have been arrested and charged, here there has been no impunity against this sector called interim government, there are 13 people with extradition request, 63 people have been sentenced and 137 raids and 149 seizures have been made. There is an important result”, he stated.
According to Saab, since August 2017 the MP has investigated 31 plots linked to the fight against corruption, particularly to the oil industry, which has left 194 people prosecuted and tried and 75 convicted.
International
Maduro signs Economic Emergency Decree to counter U.S. sanctions on Venezuela
The National Assembly of Venezuela approved on Thursday an economic emergency decree presented this week by the government of President Nicolás Maduro, in response to sanctions and tariffs imposed by the United States.
In March, the government of Donald Trump began suspending licenses for foreign oil companies operating with the state-owned Venezuelan oil company PDVSA and imposed secondary tariffs on crude oil and gas exports. Maduro signed the decree on Tuesday, invoking constitutional articles that allow him to declare states of exception, temporarily restrict constitutional guarantees, or declare a state of emergency in the event of disasters, public calamities, or events that seriously threaten the country’s security.
The emergency decree “is to support national production,” said Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President and Minister of Hydrocarbons, during the document’s presentation.
“The affected oil markets, the fall in oil prices, have already surpassed 30% in our measurement, and this, as we say, is just the beginning,” Rodríguez stated, clarifying that Venezuela’s oil and gas production continues.
Rodríguez also mentioned that foreign oil companies are welcome to operate in Venezuela in accordance with local laws.
The United States has set a deadline of May 27 for oil companies operating in Venezuela, including Chevron (U.S.), Eni (Italy), and Repsol (Spain), to wind down their operations and exports.
The decree grants Maduro the authority to implement measures he deems necessary to ensure economic growth, contain inflation, offer special treatment to investors, suspend taxes, or apply exceptions to tax laws, and establish import substitution mechanisms, among other measures.
Maduro and his government have consistently rejected sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries, arguing that they are illegitimate measures constituting an “economic war” designed to cripple Venezuela.
The president and his allies have celebrated what they describe as the country’s resilience despite these measures, although they have historically attributed some economic difficulties and shortages to the sanctions.
This is not the first time Maduro has governed under an emergency decree. In 2016, he signed a similar decree, which was extended until 2021 under the argument of sanctions imposed on Venezuela by Washington.
With the Assembly’s approval, the decree must now be sent to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.
Central America
U.S. Government says deported migrants should remain in El Salvador for life
The United States government believes that the 238 migrants recently deported to El Salvador should remain in the country “for the rest of their lives.”
This was stated by Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, during a press conference. The following day, in a televised cabinet meeting, she reiterated the government’s commitment to continue its campaign to deport over 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal immigration status.
“We are confident that the people (sent to El Salvador) should be there, and they should stay there for the rest of their lives,” Noem told a group of reporters on Wednesday.
Despite the Trump administration’s defense of its decision to transfer the migrants to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), both testimonies from their families and reports from U.S. media outlets have shown that most of those currently detained there have no criminal backgrounds.
International
Italian biologist found dead in Colombia; investigation underway
An Italian scientist has been found dead in Colombia, local authorities confirmed, after body parts were discovered along a trail in the coastal city of Santa Marta on Sunday.
Municipal police said that a bracelet found among the remains belonged to Alessandro Coatti, a biologist who had recently embarked on a journey across South America. Additional human remains were later discovered in two other locations within the city.
According to the police, Coatti had been staying in a local accommodation and was reportedly visiting the scenic Tayrona coastal area on April 5. His whereabouts since that date remain unknown, prompting an urgent investigation.
“There are currently no further details available; the case remains under investigation,” Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office said on Thursday. “It is still unclear what happened or where.”
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