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 6 - Vecchio covers for Hernández amid more accusations of “fraud”
In his own attempt at damage control, Hernández turned to TV Venezuela, a Miami-based news network.
“I recused myself from this case in March of 2019,” Hernández told the network on July 31.
While Hernández produced no public evidence to support that claim, he circulated a letter supposedly proving the recusal to allies among Venezuela’s opposition.
This letter was signed by Hernández and obtained by The Grayzone.
“I recused myself from this case in March of 2019,” Hernández told the network on July 31.
While Hernández produced no public evidence to support that claim, he circulated a letter supposedly proving the recusal to allies among Venezuela’s opposition.
This letter was signed by Hernández and obtained by The Grayzone.
The letter states the lawyer had “decided to recuse [himself] from conversations which could begin with Crystallex” due to “an independent expert testimony” he provided the company “in one of the lawsuits [it] maintained against the State.”
Dated March 13, the document inspired a wave of criticism from skeptics who accused Hernández of deceiving Guaidó and the country as a whole.
Dissenters included fellow members of Venezuela’s opposition like Jorge Alejandro Rodríguez, who initially alleged the letter was falsified.
Rodríguez was so incensed with what he believed was a gigantic fraud that he initiated an analysis of the document’s metadata.
Dated March 13, the document inspired a wave of criticism from skeptics who accused Hernández of deceiving Guaidó and the country as a whole.
Dissenters included fellow members of Venezuela’s opposition like Jorge Alejandro Rodríguez, who initially alleged the letter was falsified.
Rodríguez was so incensed with what he believed was a gigantic fraud that he initiated an analysis of the document’s metadata.
In an interview with Union Radio, Rodríguez declared that based on his investigation, the document had been created not on March 13, as it said, but on the afternoon of July 31 – the same day it was sent out.
“It is a shame and an embarrassment,” Rodríguez thundered to the anti-Maduro radio host, Vladimir Villegas.
Guaidó officials accounted for the inconsistency by claiming the document’s metadata merely reflected the time that they had converted it into a PDF for circulation among Venezuela’s opposition, not the date it was actually written.
“It is a shame and an embarrassment,” Rodríguez thundered to the anti-Maduro radio host, Vladimir Villegas.
Guaidó officials accounted for the inconsistency by claiming the document’s metadata merely reflected the time that they had converted it into a PDF for circulation among Venezuela’s opposition, not the date it was actually written.
Yet according to normal government practice, a document carrying such importance would typically have to be signed as a hard copy and stamped with the date and time it was received. If Guaidó’s team had been following proper procedure and keeping record according to Venezuelan law, Vecchio should be able to easily verify its submission– but has yet to do so.
Still regardless of its authenticity, Rodríguez views the letter as meaningless.
“It says nothing,” Rodríguez told The Grayzone, stating that Hernández’s so-called recusal was limited. “He’s not inhibiting himself from anything, he’s just saying that he will not participate in the conversations with Crystallex,” he said.
Still regardless of its authenticity, Rodríguez views the letter as meaningless.
“It says nothing,” Rodríguez told The Grayzone, stating that Hernández’s so-called recusal was limited. “He’s not inhibiting himself from anything, he’s just saying that he will not participate in the conversations with Crystallex,” he said.
“Government issues call for respect of the law; they call for transparency, and that is not being done,” Rodríguez added.
In a televised interview, the opposition lawmaker Oscar Ronderos pledged full support for Hernández if he could produce additional evidence proving he had properly recused himself from the US court overseeing the case. Hernández has yet to accept the offer.
What’s more, the letter made no mention of Hernández’s role in the Owens-Illinois case, which is still in litigation.
Most bizarrely, Hernández did not address the recusal to his boss and the supposed president, Juan Guaidó – as any attorney general would typically do – but to Guaidó’s Washington envoy, Carlos Vecchio, instead.
In a televised interview, the opposition lawmaker Oscar Ronderos pledged full support for Hernández if he could produce additional evidence proving he had properly recused himself from the US court overseeing the case. Hernández has yet to accept the offer.
What’s more, the letter made no mention of Hernández’s role in the Owens-Illinois case, which is still in litigation.
Most bizarrely, Hernández did not address the recusal to his boss and the supposed president, Juan Guaidó – as any attorney general would typically do – but to Guaidó’s Washington envoy, Carlos Vecchio, instead.
Exactly when, if ever, Guaidó was made aware of Hernández’s dealings remains a mystery.
“The fraud of Mr. Hernández is against Guaidó and the National Assembly,” asserts Rodríguez. “Vecchio has backed Hernández in all situations, and that is something I also do not understand.”
While it is impossible to verify the motivations of Vecchio and Hernández, an explanation of the process through which Citgo would be used to pay back interested parties like Crystallex and Owens-Illinois offers troubling clues.
“The fraud of Mr. Hernández is against Guaidó and the National Assembly,” asserts Rodríguez. “Vecchio has backed Hernández in all situations, and that is something I also do not understand.”
While it is impossible to verify the motivations of Vecchio and Hernández, an explanation of the process through which Citgo would be used to pay back interested parties like Crystallex and Owens-Illinois offers troubling clues.
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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