In recent days, investigations into the corruption schemes known as Cripto-PDVSA and CVG have unveiled a long list of participants involved in shady dealings. Prominent among them is businessman Pedro Rolando Maldonado Marín, who has held various public administration positions under the shadow of Tareck El Aissami—including the presidency of the Venezuelan Corporation of Guyana (CVG) and the directorship of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV)—and is currently detained. A new name that has emerged is Richard Antoun.
Pedro Maldonado is thought to have collaborated with CVG Vice Presidents Felipe Santiago Contreras (steel division), Edgar José Sánchez (marketing), and Lino Gómez to legitimize the money received from their corrupt activities both in Venezuela and worldwide.
In this case, the National Anti-Corruption Police, under the SEBIN, is attempting to locate Richard Antoun, a businessman from Puerto Ordaz who has inflated his wealth through corrupt practices. He is known for his partnership with Héctor Herrera Jiménez, former director of the Caroní Mayor’s Office and a member of the Venezuelan Housing Mission and PDVSA. Both are significant contractors for CVG, awarded contracts by Maldonado. Additionally, the name Jorge Infante appears in some documents as another associate of theirs.
Richard Antoun has reportedly been one of the most favored contractors in the group, having won major contracts since Tareck El Aissami became Vice President in 2017 and subsequently appointed Pedro Maldonado at CVG. His projects included the restoration of Cachamay Stadium and the Hermanas González gymnasium, both in Ciudad Guayana, as well as constructions for the Housing Mission. For these, he received payments in minerals, iron, and alumina.
Antoun’s significant business dealings allowed him to purchase the first-division football team Mineros de Guayana in 2021, which he allegedly intended to use for money laundering from corruption, though he ended up deeply in debt when the investigation began.
It is known that Antoun was responsible for transporting alumina, leveraging his connections with CVG and Bauxilum. He also collaborated with Jorge Infante to undermine Ferrominera’s production, inflating the price of the mineral due to the exchange they proposed for labor and machinery. Furthermore, he has financed Ángel Marcano‘s campaign for the governorship of Bolívar State and owns properties such as farms, mansions, and apartments. His sudden wealth has never been justified, especially considering he arrived in Venezuela recently without a dime. He did not obtain a foreign ID until July 2019 (as seen in Official Gazette No. 41.684). How did a foreigner without money amass such a gigantic fortune just before the COVID pandemic? There is no reasonable explanation.
Antoun also owns the Beirut restaurant in Puerto Ordaz, where his associates gather to conduct business with CVG and other state companies. The lavish expenditures at the parties and dinners held there are noteworthy.
Further arrests are anticipated in the coming days related to the corruption conspiracy, which has already implicated over 50 individuals.