2023-06-28 13:51:16
Three months have passed since the Government of Venezuela reported a mega-corruption plot that had Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) as its protagonist. More than 20,000 million dollars disappeared from the coffers of the country’s main industry, 61 detainees (two of them died in custody) and a key minister whose whereabouts are unknown.
(Read also: Another prisoner died in custody for a PDVSA plot: Juan Almeida, operator of El Aissami)
Tareck El Aissami, Minister of Petroleum, submitted his resignation via Twitter and then, on a television broadcast, President Nicolás Maduro announced that he was accepting the resignation of one of the strong pieces of Chavismo. Until today, 100 days later, the Executive has not reported the exact amount of the embezzled money, much less what happened to El Aissami.
Through the state channel, Venezolana de Televisión, since March 18 the detainees paraded dressed in orange, which included leaders of Chavismo, businessmen and models. The Prosecutor’s Office determined that the crimes were appropriation of public property, boasting or use of relationships or influences, money laundering, criminal association and treason.
Among the detainees was Álvaro Pulido, a Colombian known for being a partner of Álex Saab from Barranquilla, imprisoned in the United States and accused of being the front man for Nicolás Maduro.
(You may be interested in: Video: this is how Álvaro Pulido was presented before the Venezuelan courts)
The Government –as almost always- has preferred to remain silent. According to own estimates of the organization Transparencia Venezuela, the embezzlement figure is 16,000 million dollars.
Some sources told EL TIEMPO that El Aissami would be under surveillance at the Fuerte Tiuna Military Fort in Caracas, but this has not been verified.
Until now, only the pro-government deputy Jesús Faría has mentioned El Aissami. In a radio interview in May, he said that the former drug trafficking minister – designated by the United States – was “being investigated.”
Businesses that expand
What the authorities have explained is that the embezzlement occurred with payment in cryptocurrencies as the center of operations. These were used to charge some customers due to the sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela.
The problem is that many payments did not enter PDVSA’s coffers and when the alleged debtors were rebuked they explained that they did make their corresponding payments.
From there come the rest of the businesses that those detained today carried out in different areas, expanding their illicit activities.
An investigation by Transparency Venezuela revealed that those involved in the corruption scheme managed more than 100 companies.
(Read also: Accused of corruption appears dead: how many prisoners have died in custody?)
The ventures ranged from the supply of food, the sale of beauty items or surgical equipment, the collection of solid waste, the supply of administrative software, to the provision of equipment for the oil industry and the commercialization of crude oil.
According to Transparency, at least 105 companies are linked to 18 of those accused by the Public Ministry.
A group of people linked to high-ranking State officials and companies created in Venezuela (68), Panama (18), United States (9), Barbados (6) participated in these operations – the Transparency Venezuela report reads. , Dominican Republic (2), United Kingdom (2), Malta (1) and Cyprus (1). At least 56 of them were created between 2012 and 2022.
Although the corruption plot came to light, there were more questions than answers. The exact amount that the nation failed to receive is not known, the whereabouts of Minister El Aissami are unknown, and there were no further details of those arrested and requested or who held their positions.
ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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