For several years now, the United States has been on the trail of corruption, drug trafficking, and illegal activities involving high-ranking officials and officials of the administrations of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. There are at least five imprisoned Chavistas and a total of about 10 who collaborate with US justice.
(Read also: The network of corruption in Venezuela that splashes Colombia)
They are Claudia Díaz, Adrián Velásquez, Clíver Alcalá, Álex Saab and now Hugo Carvajal is added to the list of detainees in the United States. For the most part, what is expected is collaboration with the US authorities on the investigations that are being carried out against the Chavista leadership.
Both Díaz, Velásquez and Carvajal were extradited from Spain. Clíver from Colombia and Saab, from Cape Verde. Carvajal, known as ‘El Pollo’, refused to reach US territory.
In addition to the detainees, there are already those who have been released, as in the case of Alejandro Andrade, Chávez’s former treasurer who collaborated with the United States justice system. To achieve the reduction of the sentence.
Others, such as Leamsy Salazar, Anabel Linares, Eladio Aponte and Rafael Isea, are “key witnesses” and collaborators with the United States to “help” in the investigations. Chavismo has always denied the accusations and calls them traitors.
Venezuelan General Clíver Alcalá.
Claudia Rubio. WEATHER Archive
Who are the defendants?
–leamsy salazar He is a lieutenant captain who was part of Chávez’s security ring. since 2014 collaborates with the DEA as a protected witness. His statements are against “El Pollo” Carvajal for his ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
–Anabel Linares She is the wife of Leamsy Salazar. The Army captain was director of the Banco Bicentenario institution and worked in the Ministry of Economy. She is also a DEA collaborator.
-Former magistrate Eladio Aponte came to the United States in 2012 to collaborate with the DEA, according to information on drug trafficking involving officers of the Armed Forces.
(Also read: Venezuela expects the United States to hand over ex-general Hugo Carvajal)
-Former governor and former minister Rafael Isea became a DEA collaborator in 2012. The information provided by Isea would have to do with drug trafficking and money laundering by Chavismo leaders.
–Although Clíver Alcalá is in prison, he is also another of the United States’ “witnesses”. Media from that country assure that the ex-military also cooperates with the DEA.
-Alejandro Andrade is one of the main collaborators of the United States and thanks to his statements, other arrest warrants have been issued. He pleaded guilty to $1 billion in bribery charges.
Banners with the request for the freedom of Alex Saab in Venezuela.
The detainees
-Alex Saab. The Venezuelan national from Barranquilla is accused of being the front man for Maduro and It has been one of the hardest blows against the Venezuelan government, which still defends it.
The United States accuses him of laundering money from corrupt deals with Venezuela.
Claudia Díaz, Chávez’s nurse and former treasurer, along with her husband Adrián Velásquez, are accused of buying gold bars using a shell company established in offshore paradises in the Caribbean.
Hugo ‘El Pollo’ Carvajal assures that he has information that compromises many left-wing governments and parties, including that of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, due to financing from the Venezuelan government. The United States links him to drug trafficking and the Farc.
(Also read: Will Europe and the United States lift sanctions against Venezuela? Maduro reveals details)
According to the latest reports from Transparency Venezuela, the country today has 141 cases of corruption that are being investigated in 25 countries. Most of them linked to the great embezzlement suffered by the country’s main company: Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).
Transparency Venezuela -which is preparing its latest report with updates on the cases- explained to this newspaper that among the countries in which they are investigating the most corruption schemes are: the United States with 57 cases investigated (some have already been sentenced), followed by Argentina with 16 processes, Spain with 11, Colombia with 8 and one in Haiti, the latter discovered after the 2010 earthquake, since the PetroCaribe funds that were to be used for the catastrophe never appeared and hence the name “grand corruption”.
ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
