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In the latest episode of the program Tubazos, Venezuelan journalist Eligio Rojas discussed the recent arrest in the United Kingdom of Alejandro Bazzoni, a 53-year-old citizen linked to the corruption scheme known as PDVSA-Cripto. This fraudulent operation is believed to have caused a financial loss of over $5.55 billion to Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), involving high-ranking officials and national and international businessmen.
Bazzoni is identified as a close associate of Colonel Antonio Pérez Suárez, who served as vice president of PDVSA during the tenure of Tareck El Aissami at the state oil company and the Ministry of Oil. According to Rojas, Bazzoni is married to a senior executive at a Swiss bank, who allegedly helped facilitate the businessman’s illicit activities.
Autocrat Nicolás Maduro is responsible for the looting of PDVSA
The journalist also revealed that Bazzoni had established multiple companies in Malta, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, used to trade Venezuelan oil outside legal frameworks. These transactions, designed to circumvent international sanctions, never reported revenue to the Venezuelan treasury, further exacerbating the economic impact of the scheme.
Furthermore, Bazzoni’s name is linked to other key figures in Venezuela’s corruption, such as Erik Roveta and Francisco Javier D’Agostino, both connected to prior investigations into illicit activities in the energy sector.
Bazzoni’s arrest in October 2024 was made possible due to a red alert issued by Interpol at the request of Venezuelan authorities. He is currently in the process of extradition, a measure approved by Venezuela’s Supreme Court. The Public Ministry seeks to prosecute him in the country for charges including money laundering, illicit trafficking of strategic resources, aggravated smuggling, and organized crime.
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