Now, the elite in Venezuela can dress in Prada. On Friday, November 18th, a new store will open in the Las Mercedes area of Caracas, which is likely to become the go-to destination for the boliburguesa crowd: “Galerías Avanti,” a space that will feature the most exclusive global brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and more.
At the helm of this “business venture” is Yaser Dagga, who is also involved with Frigilux and Cyberlux, part of a group some refer to as the “washing Taliban.”
The face of the store is Dora D’Agostino, the wife of Venezuelan host Eladio Lares and the sister of Diana D’Agostino, who is married to opposition politician Henry Ramos Allup.
Dakazo
Behind the appliance business in Venezuela is a name that keeps coming up: Dagga. This Palestinian-origin business group has skyrocketed during the oil boom and the currency controls implemented by Chavismo over more than a decade. Not even the episode known as Dakazo has halted their expansion. Because, yes, Dagga is the name behind the Daka chain of stores, which is more infamous in Venezuela not for its advertising efforts, but because President Nicolás Maduro ordered its emptying in 2013. At that time, the president accused the stores of usury and speculation. This occupation and confiscation order, which virtually wiped out the availability of appliances in the country in just a few weeks, was perhaps influential in the outcomes of the municipal elections the following month. Curiously, this order did not leave the Dagga family unscathed. Today, their empire includes, in addition to Daka, several other businesses.
Nasar Ramadan Dagga Mujamad and Manzur Ramadan Dagga Mujamad are linked to the origins of Daka de Venezuela C.A. The former is also tied to Consorcio Lux and the CLX stores, which emerged in 2013 with an “exclusive license” for the “representation and distribution” of the South Korean brand Samsung, while the latter is associated with Bullpro Maracay C.A, registered in 2016 and dedicated to marketing audio equipment from the American brand Boss. There’s more: Yaser Arafat Dagga Muhd, also a founding partner of CLX stores, is the sole owner of Cyberlux de Venezuela C.A, which markets itself as the “biggest appliance assembler in Venezuela” and has ties to Daka de Venezuela C.A. Similar connections, like those between the origin of Daka’s business and other companies, are found in several of the businesses that these entrepreneurs and their families have registered in Panama.
Despite all this, those close to the group insist that “the only connection that exists is familial” and claim that this is very sensitive information. One thing is clear: their businesses are thriving, including Daka, in what seems to be a lesser-known web of relationships.