From Military to Business: Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona’s Rise to Prominence
Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona has had a lot to celebrate in 2024. In one year, he got married to a Miss Venezuela, announced his first child, and became a partner of the state-owned oil company PDVSA. Not bad for an ex-non-commissioned officer of the Bolivarian National Guard who, just three years ago, was a administrative technician at the National Integrated Customs and Tax Administration System (SENiat), the government agency responsible for collecting duties and taxes.
A Wedding to Remember
In January, Silva made the most of his privileges as the owner of the Táchira football club to ask for his fiancée’s hand in marriage at the Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo in San Cristóbal, Táchira. His fiancée, Sthefany Gutiérrez, Miss Venezuela 2017 and second runner-up at the 2018 Miss Universe pageant, said yes. The Avanza Sur, the Táchira fan club, even set up a giant display at the stadium’s tribune, bearing the question: "¿Te quieres casar conmigo?" (Will you marry me?)
Wedding, Baby, and Business
The couple then moved on to the island of Margarita in July to celebrate their wedding, with Colombia’s Silvestre Dangond providing the entertainment. And just two months after that, in September, they announced that they were expecting their first child.
The Rise of Pdvsa’s New Partner
But before all this, on May 15, 2024, PDVSA had announced the creation of Petrolera Roraima, a mixed company set up on 1,825 square kilometers of land with a 13,576 million-dollar investment plan. The company’s constitution was approved in April by the National Assembly, dominated by the governing party.
Although the announcement was accompanied by less fanfare than the events leading up to Silva’s marriage, it was still widely reported. Roraima was set to start operations the same month in the Orinoco Oil Belt, a massive oil reserve in eastern Venezuela, on fields previously assigned to ConocoPhillips. PDVSA said the state would hold 51% of the shares, while the remaining 49% would be controlled by the private company A&B Oil and Gas, of which Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona is a co-owner.
From Agro-Industry to Oil
A Career of Rises and Consequences
From a second lieutenant in the Bolivarian National Guard to a administrative technician at SENiat, from there to owner of a dozen companies related to the agro-industrial sector, to partner of a state-owned oil company – Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona has had a remarkable career. But some of his business associates and partners have ties to the government and the ruling party. Is this a coincidence or a strategy to attract capital, including foreign capital?
A Path with No Experience
But here’s the thing: Silva Cardona has no experience in the oil industry. Yet, PDVSA saw fit to partner with him, and his A&B Oil and Gas, in the massive Roraima project. This has raised eyebrows among some observers, who wonder if the partnership is a favor to a key player in the ruling party’s financial network.
A Web of Connections
Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona is not alone in his business ventures. His partner’s wife, Marlene Arenas Colina, is a key player in at least 15 companies that do business with the state, including those associated with the ruling party. Her husband, on the other hand, is a government official. Some of their business associates have prior ties to the government or the ruling party.
The Reception of Their Parent Company
The reception of Parte Genética Murcia, another company from the Alimentos El Morichal group, was mixed. On the one hand, the government has supported their business ventures. On the other hand, some of their business associates have been accused of corruption, and the company itself has been criticized for its ties to the government.
Conclusion
In the world of oil, experience counts. But it seems that in Venezuela, connections and loyalty to the ruling party may count for more. Or is this just a clever move to attract foreign investment and expertise? Only time will tell.