August 15th., 2007

The Episodes Of A Brief Case

Mystery novels, intrigue and dramatic endings turned into successful movie films may have all begun by a “lift”, a Venezuelan usual term used to describe when a person gives a lift in his car to a hitch hiker that is asking such favor, usually waiting in the side skirts of a road.  The “lift” that a high ranking Argentinean government officer gave to several Venezuelans to take them from the airport at Maiquetía to Buenos Aires had its first chapter turned into a bestseller.  One of the passengers carried a brief case with US$ 800,000 that were retained at customs.  He identified himself as Guido Antonini and disappeared.  The information hit the news and created a scandal which details and hypothesis have run around the world and has shaken the Argentinean political scenario, with effects in Venezuela, since the event coincided with President Chávez trip to the Southern countries, including Argentina, and the passengers being “lifted” were PDVSA people, amongst others, Daniel, son of Diego Uzcátegui,  PDVSA´s  man in Argentina.  The Argentinean state oil company (Enarsa), issued a communication declaring that such company had rented the plane for a two way trip for Ezequiel Espinoza, the President of the company, between Buenos Aires and Caracas, as well as for Claudio Berti, a high ranking government official, and for an administrative support employee.  The object of the trip was to perfect the details of the construction of a gas liquefaction project for US$ 400 Million associated with PDVSA.  For the trip returning to Buenos Aires, pursuant to Enarsa, they were requested a “lift” for people from PDVSA, who added as a passenger, Mr. Guido Antonini, currently requested internationally by the Argentinean justice for the alleged crime of money contraband.  According to La Nación,  it is the first judicial measure in the “corruption case that worries Kirchner the most, reason why he has asked Chávez to explain what has happened”. 

The former was preceded by Uberti´s  resignation, who was in charge of the commercial and energy relations with Venezuela, well known as a trusted man by Minister Julio De Vido, who has been a key actor in all cooperation agreements signed by Kirchner and Chávez.  According to Argentinean newspapers, his role as a link between all that had to do with Venezuela, including business between companies, “had been questioned for lack of transparency”.  In practice, Uberti acted in Caracas as a somewhat parallel ambassador and his appearance in Aló Presidente was frequent, smiling before the cameras when Chávez, calling him affectionately by his first name Claudio, made reference to the bi national negotiations.  The District Attorney that ordered the measure against Antonini declared that they will consider requesting the detention of Uberti, pointed out by Alberto Fernández, Kirchner´s  Head of Cabinet, as responsible for Antonini´s  entering the plane.  Minister De Vido declared that Uberti, his most trusted collaborator ever since their work with Kirchner in the Santa Cruz Governing, in Patagonia, had made a mistake, but that the Venezuelans  had abused of his good faith.  Pepé Eliaschev, a well known Argentinean journalist declared:  “The US$ 800,000 are the tip of the iceberg”.  According to him, “a lot of Venezuelan money has been entering since a long time ago by non conventional channels, and the judges may prove it, but they will abstain from it in order not to liquidate Mrs. Kirchner´s  candidacy”.  The brief case threatens to become one of the major debate themes in the electoral campaign, so much that the most radical adversaries demand the resignation of the President.

THE MAN OF THE BRIEF CASE

Who is Antonini?  According to information provided by the journalists that investigate the case, he was born in Venezuela and resides in Miami, wherein he has incorporated four companies on his behalf, all with the same object: “any legal business”.  He appears as the owner of a condominium in one of the most expensive zones in the city, which he declares as the seat of his companies.  As per what has been published by the press in Buenos Aires, Caracas and Miami, his businesses deal with petrochemistry, exportations, contract mediation, weapons trafficking, acquisition of provisions for Mercal, Chavez´  government company that sells subsidized food. The District Attorney that handles the case in Buenos Aires took into account what was disclosed in customs, that his passport showed twelve trips between Caracas and Buenos Aires within the course of this year.  The criminal process opened in Argentina aims, according to La Nación, to a money laundering operation.  El Espectador, from Montevideo submitted evidence that Antonini, within the course of this year, has traveled to Uruguay several times, staying in a hotel reserved for the son of Diego Uzcátegui and paid by PDVSA.  In the first page of the Venezuelan press, a picture of Antonini first appeared, accompanied by Johnny Yánez, the Governor of the Cojedes State.  The picture reproduces information from a newspaper in Uruguay regarding their visit to buy pre manufactured housing, which was duly confirmed to AFP by the seller company, and whose Manager declared that Antonini acted as an adviser to the Governor.

“Media conspiracy by the Empire” declared Chávez in Buenos Aires and Bolivia, indignant that the Southern media had more interest in “banalities” rather than cooperation agreements executed by brother countries.  The argument has been repeated as a chorus by Ministers and high ranking Venezuelan government officials.  Upon the fact that the Argentinean justice is taking care of the matter, a new explanation was produced:  if there is a crime committed, it happened in Argentina and Venezuela is not legally competent to investigate same.  Until now, the only Venezuelan officer that has identified the man of the brief case has been the Superintendent of Customs and Tributary Administration, Captain Vielma Mora, who said:  “we are dealing with a Venezuelan business man, residing in the United States, who has major investments with Petróleos de Venezuela”.  On the next day of this declaration, the Attorney General issued a press note, announcing that he had ordered an investigation, since the Criminal Exchange Law may have been infringed.  According to the latter, a person that exports foreign currency for an amount superior to US$ 10,000 is obliged to declare such amount and the nature of the respective operation.  In the press note, the Attorney General attested that PDVSA is exempt of such obligation in Venezuela.  The question now is:  If the money is from PDVSA, why did they fail to declare same in Argentina?

The news paper Reporte de la Economía has been denouncing that PDVSA has become a money launderer of dollars and affirms having submitted proof to the National Assembly.  “Corruption in the oil industry, affirmed its Director- will end with Chávez revolutionary project, which has been supported with people like myself for years, and this is why we request the authorization of the investigation and the sanction of the responsible ones, starting by deposing the Directors presided by Minister Ramírez”.  The Minister being quoted, whom Chávez already said will remain in office, declared that notwithstanding the petitions “from several Argentinean instances”,  there will be no one let go at PDVSA and assured that behind the brief case, there is a conspiracy movement.  He disqualified Reporte de la Economía stating that the Director lacks morals.  A Court ordered the capture of Leocenis García, who signs the articles written regarding corruption at PDVSA, amongst which one of such articles denounces that there is drug trafficking within the oil vessels destined for Europe.

TODAY, CHÁVEZ FORMALIZES HIS INDEFINITE RE ELECTION AS A DISTRACTION MANEUVER

The brief case scandal shaded Chávez activities and declarations during these last two weeks which were dominated by the energy theme.  In his Southern voyage, Chávez promised to give away more than US$ 13,000 Million for projects in the energy sector and signed agreements assuring that he can supply the sub continent with “oil for the entire century”.  In Argentina he will finance a gas liquefaction project (US$ 400 Million), as well continuing to buy debt (US$1,000 Million).  In Bolivia he gave away US$ 600 Million for Petroandina, he will finance another gas liquefaction project (US$ 400 Million), he will finance an electric facility (US$ 70 Million) and he will buy debt bonuses (US$ 100 Million).  In Ecuador he proposed an oil industry reconstruction project (US$ 10,000 Million) and buying debt (US$ 500 Million).  He did not mention the mythical South Gas duct, and the analysts consider that the variant is the construction of gas liquefaction factories that would be transported by sea and not by the gas duct.  It called for attention that MERCOSUR was no longer a fundamental issue in his speeches at Uruguay and Argentina.  Upon his return he dedicated to the Petrocaribe meeting, to which 13 Heads of State attended, Daniel Ortega and a nurtured Cuban representation.  Chávez offered the people  of the Caribbean Venezuelan oil, since “it will suffice for all”.  He announced the construction of a refinery in the Dominican Republic and also announced that he is helping Jamaica with the creation of another refinery.   He announced that Cuba´s  Cien Fuegos refinery will start operations at the end of the year.  He announced that there a project for a gas duct all the way to Cuba is being studied and the execution of five agreements for the integration of mixed companies that will produce foodstuffs both in Cuba and Venezuela, with a US$ 3,000 Million investment.

He bitterly complained about the media conspiracy (“the media is the worst evil of the century”) since the brief case matter has been the worry of the country, even for the “light” pro Chávez followers.  The Director of Ultimas Noticias, the most important written press organ that supports him, wrote that it was about time to explain the US$ 800,000 retained from a plane wherein PDVSA people traveled.  The support to the article helped well known people from the government to publicly denounce the concern.  Chávez tried to recuperate the initiative from the political agenda, which has been a successful strategy and announced that the Constitutional Reform project is ready.  He requested the National Assembly greet him in order to present the project.  Notwithstanding that the Constitutional Reform is a decisive matter for the country, since with same, Chávez pretends his indefinite re election, the public opinion has taken it as a distraction maneuver and the brief case matter has maintained as the preferred issue in the media, since the major character in the soap opera has appeared.  His lawyer in Argentina said that Antonini is willing to declare.  The Argentinean government insists that Venezuela inform about Antonini´s ties with PDVSA and the destiny of the dollars retained at customs.  The questioned Minister Ramírez denounces a conspiracy against the revolution, wherein the CIA and the DEA participate.  Notwithstanding, his trusted man in Argentina, Diego Uzcátegui, has just resigned.  Chávez suspended cooperation with the DEA in August of 2005 accusing the agency of espionage. 

The official actions are so incongruent, that they may not be put together, not even with a major “lifting”.