Venezuelan Entrepreneur José Manuel González Admits Involvement in Bribery Network Before Federal Court in Houston. A Venezuelan-American arrested last July in Miami pleaded guilty for his role in a bribery network linked to the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), as reported by the Department of Justice. José Manuel González Testino, 49, acknowledged his involvement in paying bribes to Pdvsa officials and its subsidiary Citgo, based in Houston (Texas), to “corruptly” secure and maintain energy and logistics contracts, the Justice Department detailed in a statement.
González Testino pleaded guilty in a federal court in Houston to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), another count of violating that statute, and a third charge for failing to report foreign bank accounts, according to EFE. The defendant appeared before federal judge Gray H. Miller in the Southern District of Texas, who accepted his plea and announced that the sentencing will be revealed on August 28. The businessman was arrested on July 31 of last year at Miami International Airport based on an arrest warrant tied to a criminal complaint filed in Texas. Reports indicate that González Testino controlled several U.S. and international companies that supplied goods and services to the Venezuelan state oil company. In his plea, he stated that from early 2012 until at least 2018, he conspired with others to bribe Pdvsa officials. He also admitted that from November 2012 to June 2013, he and an accomplice paid $629,000 in bribes to César Rincón David Godoy, a former general manager of Bariven, a Pdvsa procurement subsidiary. He mentioned that he also provided bribes to Alfonso Eliezer Gravina, who was then working for Pdvsa Services Inc, another Houston-based subsidiary of the Venezuelan state. Both officials allegedly supplied González Testino with inside information on Pdvsa’s procurement processes and took steps to “direct” contracts from the oil company to the accused’s firms, prioritizing them for payment. Similarly, the accused admitted to bribing several Pdvsa officials based in Houston who worked for Citgo, helping him secure contracts for new business and providing him with information about bidding processes. González Testino is one of the latest individuals to plead guilty in a U.S. government investigation into bribery at Pdvsa. The Justice Department’s statement noted that charges have been filed against 21 individuals, including González Testino, 16 of whom have pleaded guilty. – Information from Agencies
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MISCELLANEOUS. Below we highlight controversial articles published by various media. We leave it to our readers to form their respective opinions…
“GUAIDISMO” DECLINES TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS IN NORWAY | LEOPOLDO LÓPEZ GIL, ENRIQUE ALVARADO, AND THE APPROACHES IN OSLO | PRESS RING AMERICAS @AMERICAPRENSA
THIS IS HOW THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN GUAIDÓ AND RAÚL GORRÍN ARE DESCRIBED.
THE TWO SCENARIOS THAT SOME SEE AS POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF THE CONTACTS IN NORWAY.
JOURNALISTS, TWITTER USERS, AND SOCIAL ACTIVISTS ARE TARGETED FOR REPLICATING “UNCOMFORTABLE” INFORMATION ABOUT FIGURES LINKED TO “GUAIDISMO.”
GUSTAVO BATTIKHAB NOUNUN PARTNER OF A “BOLIBURGUÉS” IN MONAGAS.
BALTASAR GARZÓN WILL NOT BE IN HUGO CARVAJAL’S DEFENSE.
ARUBA LAWYER REFUSES TO COLLABORATE WITH HUGO CARVAJAL’S DEFENSE.
ARMANDO.INFO: AGROPATRIA SUPPLIER INVESTIGATED IN THE USA FOR “MONEY TRANSFER BUSINESS WITHOUT LICENSE.”
INTERNATIONAL.
RAMÓN FONSECA ENJOYS THE ‘HEAVENLY FREEDOM’ AFTER THE PANAMA PAPERS SCANDAL.
(PANAMA) WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO VARELA AFTER HANDING OVER THE KEYS TO THE PALACE OF THE HERONS?
(PANAMA) VARELA DEPARTS LEAVING A RUINED COLON.
(PANAMA) COULD ISABEL DE SAINT MALO HAVE OCCUPIED VARELA’S POSITION?
STATE OFFICIALS AND SUSPECT LAWYERS ACCUSED OF ALLOWING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT BORDER CROSSINGS.
(PANAMA) MINERA PANAMÁ RESPONDS TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S REJECTION OF CONTRACT LAW. After the National Assembly’s Economy and Finance Committee rejected the law contract between the state and Minera Panamá on Wednesday afternoon, May 29, the company issued a statement reacting to the measure. Defining itself as respectful of national laws and trusting in the country’s legal security, Minera Panamá emphasized that they represent the largest private investment in Central America in its entire history, according to TVN Noticias. “We trust that the state will support the legal stability necessary to stimulate the national economy. According to forecasts from national and international experts, we are set to contribute more than 3% to Panama’s GDP growth starting in 2020,” the company stated. Minera Panamá asserted that its operations in Panama comply with current legislation as well as international investment protection treaties. The mining conglomerate will continue developing the Cobre Panamá project, which currently employs over 9,000 Panamanians, who are growing and developing alongside the company. In 2018, the Supreme Court declared the law that granted the concession for the exploitation of gold and copper to Petaquilla, now called Minera Panamá, unconstitutional. However, the National Government argued that this ruling does not affect the concession. Members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) expressed that they would not support the project. – Information from Agencies
(PANAMA) AIR FRANCE-KLM. From a reader: The service of the Air France-KLM airline in Panama leaves much to be desired, due to deficiencies and situations where some users have been deceived. In fact, it has declined so much that many of its clients are moving to Iberia and Avianca. Locally, Air France-KLM does not have customer service offices, only a call center operating from another country, with no internal mechanism for filing complaints. – Adrián Ramírez
(25/04/2017) COMPLAINTS ABOUT AIR FRANCE KLM SERVICE. From a reader: Passengers in Panama have reported issues with Air France KLM regarding deceptive practices when they lose their flights due to force majeure. When they try to reschedule, they find they are forced to buy a new ticket regardless of reasons for missing their flight, even if they had first-class tickets. Additionally, there are complaints about poor service in first class, discomfort, and low service quality. – Adrián Ramírez
(20/04/2017) KLM. From a reader: A foreign citizen residing in Panama recently traveled with their family to Holland in first class on KLM airlines. After checking in and passing through immigration, they were called to be informed that their apartment was being robbed. They couldn’t travel, but the rest of their family did. They went to the KLM/Air France desk at the airport and, when speaking with the employee in charge, they were told that their ticket would be voided so they could use it later. However, when they called the airline’s call center to make a new reservation, they were informed that they had lost the expensive ticket and that the employee had not formalized or notified any cancellation. It’s unclear if this only happens in Panama or elsewhere, but the passenger felt cheated. – Adrián Ramírez
(LIBYA) RSF CELEBRATES THE FREEDOM OF JOURNALISTS MOHAMED GURJ AND MOHAMED CHIBANI. Reporters Without Borders expresses satisfaction over the release of Libyan journalists Mohamed Gurj and Mohamed Chibani on Friday, May 24. These workers for Libya al Ahrar télévision were detained on May 2 by the “Al Kaniat” forces, affiliated with General Haftar’s army. “Reporters Without Borders expresses its great satisfaction at the release of Mohamed Gurj and Mohamed Chibani, and urges all parties in conflict to respect international law and refrain from detaining more journalists,” asserts Souhaieb Khayati, director of RSF’s North Africa office. Libya ranks 162nd out of 180 countries in the current World Press Freedom Index. – Information from rsf-es.org
(CHAD) REPORTER OBED NANGBATNA DIES AFTER SEVERE INJURIES FROM MINE EXPLOSION. Obed Nangbatna, a reporter and cameraman for the national television channel of Chad, Télé Tchad, was severely injured on May 25 when the military vehicle he was traveling in hit a mine. The four soldiers also in the vehicle died. The military convoy was headed north of Lake Chad, where the country’s army had just been attacked by Islamist militants. Nangbatna was in the convoy to cover the events following the Islamist attacks. He was rushed to a military hospital in the capital, where he died from the injuries sustained in the explosion. “We are very saddened by the news of Obed Nangbatna’s death,” states Reporters Without Borders. “This tragic incident reminds us of the sacrifice of journalists covering war zones and risking their lives.” Chad currently ranks 122nd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. For more information about Chad, refer to RSF-Spain’s Annual Report. – Information from rsf-es.org