SCANDAL IN WASHINGTON: THE U.S. MAY HAVE INTERVENED TO PROTECT A VENEZUELAN OIL TYCOON
An investigation by The Washington Post reveals an incident that could raise serious questions about Washington’s policy toward Venezuela.
According to the newspaper, senior U.S. officials stepped in in an international criminal investigation involving Alejandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan oil businessman who became an important intermediary between the Trump administration and the new Venezuelan government.
🇺🇸 The most controversial point: Swiss prosecutors had asked the United States to stop Betancourt due to an investigation into alleged money laundering. However, Washington did not carry out the request and, later, granted him a U.S. multiple-entry visa.
According to people familiar with the case, U.S. officials even pushed for the Swiss investigation to end without criminal penalties and for Betancourt to be able to travel freely. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the specific conversations.
🛢️ Why is this so important? Betancourt has become a key piece in an effort to restart Venezuela’s oil industry. His company is said to have increased its output from about 18,000 to nearly 200,000 barrels per day in just two years.
The businessman has denied any involvement in illegal activities and has not been convicted or criminally charged in the United States, Switzerland, Spain, or Venezuela for these matters. (The Washington Post)
🔥 The case raises a explosive question: how far is Washington willing to go to ensure control and the reactivation of Venezuela’s oil?
The answer could reveal a lot about the new relationship between Trump, Caracas, and Venezuela’s strategically important oil.
An investigation by The Washington Post reveals an incident that could raise serious questions about Washington’s policy toward Venezuela.
According to the newspaper, senior U.S. officials stepped in in an international criminal investigation involving Alejandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan oil businessman who became an important intermediary between the Trump administration and the new Venezuelan government.
🇺🇸 The most controversial point: Swiss prosecutors had asked the United States to stop Betancourt due to an investigation into alleged money laundering. However, Washington did not carry out the request and, later, granted him a U.S. multiple-entry visa.
According to people familiar with the case, U.S. officials even pushed for the Swiss investigation to end without criminal penalties and for Betancourt to be able to travel freely. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the specific conversations.
🛢️ Why is this so important? Betancourt has become a key piece in an effort to restart Venezuela’s oil industry. His company is said to have increased its output from about 18,000 to nearly 200,000 barrels per day in just two years.
The businessman has denied any involvement in illegal activities and has not been convicted or criminally charged in the United States, Switzerland, Spain, or Venezuela for these matters. (The Washington Post)
🔥 The case raises a explosive question: how far is Washington willing to go to ensure control and the reactivation of Venezuela’s oil?
The answer could reveal a lot about the new relationship between Trump, Caracas, and Venezuela’s strategically important oil.
