The Citgo conspiracy: Opposition figures accuse Guaidó officials of ‘scam’ to liquidate Venezuela’s most prized international asset
Venezuela’s opposition has long accused the Bolivarian government of corruption and mismanagement. But with Citgo on the verge of liquidation, Guaidó’s officials are too incompetent — or too devious — to save it.
by Anya Parampil
Part 5 - A growth lab for Venezuela’s US-backed opposition
Hours after Venezuela’s Attorney General opened a criminal investigation into Hernández’s relationship with Crystallex, Guaidó’s US-based officials launched into a chorus of praise for their embattled colleague.
“In my professional career I have never worked with someone more capable, more hardworking, more dedicated, more knowledgeable about legislation, and more honest than Attorney General Hernández,” vowed Ricardo Hausmann, Guaidó’s ambassador to the Inter-American Development Bank.
Hausmann is the neoliberal Harvard economist previously exposed in The Grayzone for raking in fees from big banks and repressive and theocratic governments while attacking banks that work with Venezuela’s elected government.
“In my professional career I have never worked with someone more capable, more hardworking, more dedicated, more knowledgeable about legislation, and more honest than Attorney General Hernández,” vowed Ricardo Hausmann, Guaidó’s ambassador to the Inter-American Development Bank.
Hausmann is the neoliberal Harvard economist previously exposed in The Grayzone for raking in fees from big banks and repressive and theocratic governments while attacking banks that work with Venezuela’s elected government.
Hausmann proclaimed on Twitter: “The attacks against him are based on lies and false conflicts of interest.”
The economist continued with the rousing defense of his friend, referring to Hernández by a nickname: “Venezuela must thank Nacho a lot for his contributions to the decisions of the National Assembly since 2015, for the many legal decisions of the Presidency of Juan Guaidó, [and] for his defense of more than 40 lawsuits against the Republic. Thanks Nacho.”
Guaidó’s US envoy, Carlos Vecchio, seconded Hausmann’s glowing endorsement, tweeting, “quite so, Ricardo Hausmann. The Attorney General has been an honest professional who has contributed greatly to protect our assets and join efforts to cease usurpation.”
Hausmann and Vecchio’s defense of Hernández came as no surprise, as the bond between the three men extended far beyond their service in Guaidó’s shadow administration.
The three officials were each affiliated in various capacities with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, an elite training ground for future leaders of US-backed political movements across the globe. Vecchio completed a masters degree on the dime of the US government at the Kennedy School in 2000, the same year that Hausmann joined the university as a professor of economics.
Hausmann currently runs The Growth Lab, an offshoot of Kennedy’s Center for International Development (CID) that “works to understand the dynamics of growth and to translate those insights into more effective policy making in developing countries.” Hernández works directly under Hausmann at The Growth Lab, having enjoyed a CID fellowship since 2017.
The three officials were each affiliated in various capacities with Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, an elite training ground for future leaders of US-backed political movements across the globe. Vecchio completed a masters degree on the dime of the US government at the Kennedy School in 2000, the same year that Hausmann joined the university as a professor of economics.
Hausmann currently runs The Growth Lab, an offshoot of Kennedy’s Center for International Development (CID) that “works to understand the dynamics of growth and to translate those insights into more effective policy making in developing countries.” Hernández works directly under Hausmann at The Growth Lab, having enjoyed a CID fellowship since 2017.
CID’s funders include The US International Trade Commission (USTR), MasterCard, and George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. The CID also receives support from the Center for Global Development, a think tank chaired by Clinton-era Treasury Secretary Larry Summers which is itself backed by the Gates Foundation, Exxon Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.
For his part, Hausmann insisted to The Grayzone, “Guaidó and his team will do everything they can to prevent the loss of CITGO that is in danger because of the recklessness of Chavez and Maduro. Making Guaido, Jose Ignacio Hernandez or me responsible for the vulnerability in which Maduro has put all assets abroad is absurd. If we wanted to lose CITGO, inaction would be enough.”
He added, “The idea that I want to liquidate Citgo is ridiculous and false.”
For his part, Hausmann insisted to The Grayzone, “Guaidó and his team will do everything they can to prevent the loss of CITGO that is in danger because of the recklessness of Chavez and Maduro. Making Guaido, Jose Ignacio Hernandez or me responsible for the vulnerability in which Maduro has put all assets abroad is absurd. If we wanted to lose CITGO, inaction would be enough.”
He added, “The idea that I want to liquidate Citgo is ridiculous and false.”
When this reporter followed up by asking Hausmann about Guaidó’s decision to appoint the board of PdVSA’s subsidiaries and Hernández’s involvement in the Crystallex case, Hausmann blocked them on WhatsApp.
But Venezuela’s Harvard boys were not the only voices of support Hernández found among Guaidó’s top US officials. In case anyone still questioned the lawyer’s honesty, Guaidó’s representative at the Organization for American States, Gustavo Tarre, penned a long letter touting the fact he had once worked closely with Hernández’s father as a testament to his character.
But Venezuela’s Harvard boys were not the only voices of support Hernández found among Guaidó’s top US officials. In case anyone still questioned the lawyer’s honesty, Guaidó’s representative at the Organization for American States, Gustavo Tarre, penned a long letter touting the fact he had once worked closely with Hernández’s father as a testament to his character.
Source, links:
https://thegrayzone.com/2019/09/03/the-citgo-conspiracy-opposition-figures-accuse-guaido-officials-of-scam-to-liquidate-venezuelas-most-prized-international-asset/
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