Amid the PDVSA Crypto scandal, one of the most severe corruption cases in the history of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, football has emerged as an activity involving significant sums of money derived from embezzlement. Rather than the traditional investment in horse racing, corrupt funds have flowed into the world of football, serving as a means to conceal the money generated from this massive theft from the nation. The key figures involved are detailed below.
Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah: a Chavista leader and former Minister of Oil, identified as the coordinator of the corruption network that stole billions through the illegal sale of Venezuelan oil and cryptocurrency management. Tareck El Aissami is known for his love of football, using the acquisition and management of teams and academies both in Venezuela and abroad to mobilize resources. An example of his lavish spending can be seen at Aragua Fútbol Club, where he was even presented as a player in 2015 (though he never actually debuted).
The @AraguaFC welcomes their new player Tareck El Aissami @TareckPSUV pic.twitter.com/WKiu3dBg2l
— Aragua Fútbol Club (@AraguaFC) February 6, 2015
Hugbel Rafael Roa Carucci: a deputy and close associate of El Aissami, who controlled a network of officials and front men involved in football business. Hugbel Roa was arrested for his role in the PDVSA corruption scheme and has been the president of Trujillanos since 2008. His front man, Alejandro Arroyo, owner of Mineros de Guayana, is also detained for his involvement in the scandal. Roa and Arroyo maintained a powerful alliance with Jorge Giménez, president of the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF), facilitating oil-for-food exchanges.
Richard Antoun: Former president of Mineros de Guayana and partner of the detained Pedro Maldonado. Together, they ran a mafia that awarded contracts for the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (CVG) to their friends. Following the PDVSA Crypto scandal, he has not been seen at his Restaurant Beirut in Puerto Ordaz, leading to speculation that he may have fled the country.
Jorge Alfredo Silva Cardona: a businessman linked to Venezuelan football, president of Grupo JHS and Deportivo Táchira, a team with a long history. Although not directly implicated in the PDVSA corruption scandal, Jorge Silva has close ties to Delcy Rodríguez, who currently controls the state oil company after El Aissami’s downfall. He lost the FVF presidential election due to Tareck El Aissami’s pressure directing votes toward Jorge Giménez, as revealed in a recently uncovered audio by El Nacional.
Laydecker José Navas Santaella: a leader and former player responsible for managing the football business of El Aissami and Hugbel Roa in the Portuguesa and Anzoátegui states. Laydecker Navas has been accused of misappropriating funds from the Minor Football Association and charging illegal fees to the families of young prospects entering the academies controlled by the network.
Wilmar Alfredo Castro Soteldo: a minister and former governor linked to the oil corruption scheme. Wilmar Castro Soteldo controlled Portuguesa Fútbol Club in the state where he once served as governor. He is also attributed with leading a fraud network alongside former colonel José Antonio Pérez Suárez, vice president of Commerce and Supply at PDVSA, who offered food payments to agricultural entrepreneurs in exchange for oil quotas that were never delivered.
Alessandro Bazzoni: an Italian businessman and associate of El Aissami, who entered the Italian football business with a substantial investment in the second division club Spal. His brother, Lorenzo Bazzoni, is an executive of the club. Alessandro Bazzoni has been included in the OFAC sanctions list and is under investigation for his involvement in the PDVSA corruption scheme.
It is important to note that the acquisition of football teams has historically been used as a mechanism for money laundering, through management, player purchases, and cash handling at game ticket sales and merchandise. In Venezuela, this also includes charging illegal fees and commissions to fans and players.
Both Tareck El Aissami and Hugbel Roa, along with Alessandro Bazzoni, are under investigation for their roles in the extensive corruption scheme, which has resulted in estimated losses of over $21 billion to date. While El Aissami and Roa are in custody in Venezuela, the Attorney General has issued a warrant for Bazzoni’s arrest.
According to sources close to the investigation, the PDVSA corruption scheme linked to Tareck El Aissami and Alessandro Bazzoni is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida in Miami.
It is evident that football, an activity that should promote passion and sportsmanship, has turned into a fertile ground for corruption and money laundering. This corruption case within Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, involving prominent football and political figures, reveals the magnitude of the challenges facing sports in the fight against corruption.