What a spectacle this promises to be, ladies and gentlemen! Immediately following the public awakening with the news that Alejandro Betancourt financed Juan Guaidó and used Guaidó’s father to provide good faith to Rudy Giuliani, we had Jorge Rodríguez, the most corrupt political operator of Chavismo in one corner, and Rafael Ramírez, the most corrupt financial operator of Chavismo in the other, gathered yesterday in a virtual ring to throw punches at Betancourt, the most corrupt bolichico in Venezuela. There’s nothing better than this, so let’s cheer them on, give them space, and let no man interfere!
On this site, we have always maintained that Chavismo would eventually implode, much like that brilliant scene with Michael Madsen in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Remember, Chavismo is an umbrella organization formed by criminal gangs of various genres. There are terrorist gangs, drug trafficking gangs, their bastard descendants, military gangs, police gangs, banker gangs, business gangs, pranes gangs, Russian gangs, Chinese gangs, Cuban gangs, Colombian gangs, Arab gangs… and sitting atop are politicians of all colors ensuring their constituents get a fair share of the loot.
So when Jorge Rodríguez said, “Alejandro Betancourt is corrupt and got rich thanks to Rafael Ramírez,” we had to run to the kitchen and pop some popcorn.
Rodríguez is, after all, the master manipulator, the wicked psychiatrist poisoned and indoctrinated since childhood by his disturbed mother. Rodríguez is also the architect of all the “electoral victories” Chavismo has had since 2004 and the chief advisor to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Rafael Ramírez, now that he is “collaborating” with law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice, had to respond. In a series of tweets, Ramírez accused Rodríguez of cynicism and added that his attorney Majed Khalil became a millionaire thanks to energy supply contracts, pointing out that Alejandro Betancourt is a partner of Chavismo in Petrozamora and Petrosur, two joint ventures with PDVSA.
Ramírez actually posted that on Twitter, I’m not joking! He claimed he had evidence…
And continued with another tweet stating that Rodríguez and Maduro received $40 million for Brazil’s 2012 electoral campaign (Odebrecht), which they stole, adding, “I have proof.”
And then, in a swift combination of three blows, Ramírez called Rodríguez “miserable,” knowing that Alejandro Betancourt is an attorney for Nicolás Maduro, who is currently under criminal investigation in Florida as part of a $1.2 billion theft from PDVSA in December 2014, and is a partner of the Russians. Ramírez concludes on Betancourt with: “Surprise! He works for Maduro and Guaidó.”
Oh, what a mess! It must be the life in Rome, away from any action, like a nobody, giving interviews here and there, and having to endure Beatrice while managing a small farm, which is causing the once all-powerful oil czar of Venezuela to lose his mind.
Ramírez conveniently forgot that he was the one who hosted, approved, signed, and constituted Petrozamora, the joint venture between PDVSA, the Russians (Gazprombank), and Alejandro Betancourt.
Ramírez also neglected to mention that, under his supervision, PDVSA granted Betancourt a handful of procurement contracts back in the days when Rodríguez’s attorney, Majed Khalil, was on his way to becoming a millionaire. In fact, what Betancourt did, with the help and approval of Ramírez, was elbow Khalil out and replace him in the energy generation contracts that depended on PDVSA’s SAME subcontractor: ProEnergy Services, based in Missouri.
Nervis Villalobos, one of Ramírez’s most trusted lieutenants, now facing extradition to the U.S., was hired by Betancourt/Derwick to promote business with PDVSA, which he did. Not only procurement for energy generation, but money laundering on an unprecedented scale. Villalobos, however, is part of Ramírez’s amnesia.
On March 6, 2012, Ramírez approved a $4.5 billion money laundering scheme proposed by Administradora Atlantic, referring to Luis and Ignacio Oberto, and Alejandro Betancourt.
His signature is right there on the document. Ramírez saw no problem, allowing PDVSA funds deposited in the Banco Espirito Santo of Portugal to be stolen by his partners. A total of $4.5 billion. I encourage readers to visit this link (https://infodio.com/es) and read the series “The Corruption of Rafael Ramírez in PDVSA.”
Regarding Ramírez’s accusation about funds obtained from Brazil (Odebrecht), check here, where his direct involvement and requests from Nicolás Maduro for funds from that source are clearly established.
I won’t even mention how Ramírez sent his uncle Egly Ramírez to conduct completely corrupt business with Odebrecht.
Just three days ago, we were further exposing Ramírez’s lies. It’s incredible that he feels he has any moral capital to accuse someone of corruption. What’s fantastic here is that both Rodríguez and Ramírez agree on something that everyone, except Rudy Giuliani now knows: Alejandro Betancourt is a completely corrupt thug.
Ramírez must have also forgotten about the Neri Bonilla brothers. He must have forgotten the deals that his brother-in-law Baldo Sanso made with them, the parties, the trips, his involvement as “advisor to PDVSA” without an official title, and as a lawyer for the Corporación Venezolana de Petróleo (CVP)… But more importantly, Ramírez doesn’t seem to remember the romantic relationship that the Rodríguez brothers have with the Neri Bonillas. So he’s not only throwing Betancourt under the bus here, but he’s also exposing himself and his brother-in-law’s partners!
Total disorder. That is what this Twitter dogfight is. Rodríguez claiming that Betancourt is a corrupt thug, when Betancourt’s partner wanted by the Department of Justice, Francisco Convit, is living completely peacefully under Chavista justice in Caracas, gives all the necessary credibility to the dispute. Add to that the excellent relationship of Raúl Gorrín with Maduro, read with Rodríguez, and any accusations of corruption coming from that corner are nothing more than bland nonsense.
A word of caution for U.S. authorities relying on Ramírez as an informant/source: be very careful.