Skip to main content

New top story from Time: Families of Six American Oil Executives Convicted in Venezuela Cry Foul

https://ift.tt/36bW5cN

CARACAS, Venezuela — Hopes of families for a quick release for six American oil executives detained in Venezuela for three years over an alleged corruption scheme have evaporated, with a judge finding them all guilty and quickly sentencing them to prison.

Attorneys and relatives of the so-called Citgo 6 said the men were wrongly convicted, and the defense lawyers vowed to appeal Thursday’s verdicts.

Alirio Rafael Zambrano, whose two brothers were among the defendants, said they were “undeniably innocent” and victims of “judicial terrorism.” No evidence presented in the case supports a guilty conviction, he said.

“We, the family, are heartbroken to be separated even further from our loved ones,” Zambrano said by phone from New Jersey. “We pray that the leaders of our nation step forward and continue to fight unceasingly for their freedom and human rights.”

Attorney María Alejandra Poleo, who helped represent three of the men, said the case was “void of evidence.” “Of course, the defense will appeal the decision,” she said.

The so-called Citgo 6 are employees of Houston-based Citgo refining company, which is owned by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA. They had been lured to Venezuela three years ago for a business meeting and were arrested on corruption charges.

Their arrest launched a purge by President Nicolás Maduro’s government of PDVSA and at a time when relations between Caracas and Washington were crumbling as Venezuela plummeted into economic and social crisis.

Five of the men were sentenced to prison terms of 8 years and 10 months, while one of them received a 13-year sentence. Defense attorney Jesus Loreto said the five with lesser terms could be released on parole in a couple of years.

Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice announced the verdicts and prison sentences but offered no other comment on the trial’s outcome.

One of the men, Tomeu Vadell, had said in a letter written in a Caracas jail and provided exclusively to The Associated Press before the verdict that he hoped for a fair trial so he could walk free with his name cleared and go home to his family in the United States.

In a statement after the verdict, Vadell’s family said: “We are sad to see that justice did not prevail today. But we are hopeful that the truth will set our loved one, Tomeu, free and home to us soon.”

Despite his circumstances, Vadell had expressed hopefulness.

“During the trial, the truth has proven undeniable,” Vadell said in the four-page hand-written letter. “It proves that I am innocent.”

“I’m now reaching an intersection where if justice is done, I will be able to rebuild my life and try to compensate my family for all the lost moments,” he added. “The light is intense — the hope is great — give me freedom.”

It was the first time Vadell, or any of the so-called Citgo 6, had spoken publicly since being arrested and charged with in a purported big corruption scheme. He has been held at a feared Caracas jail called El Helicoide.

The others convicted are Gustavo Cárdenas, Jorge Toledo, brothers Jose Luis Zambrano and Alirio Zambrano, all now U.S. citizens. Jose Pereira, a permanent resident, received the longest sentence.

They were also charged with embezzlement stemming from a never-executed proposal to refinance some $4 billion in Citgo bonds by offering a 50% stake in the company as collateral. Maduro at the time accused them of “treason.”

They all pleaded innocence.

The men were summoned to the headquarters of PDVSA for what they were told was a budget meeting on Nov. 21, 2017. A corporate jet shuttled them to Caracas and they were told they would be home for Thanksgiving. Instead, military intelligence officers swarmed into the boardroom and hauled them off to jail.

Their trial started four months ago and closing arguments took place Thursday. The judge immediately announced her verdict.

The proceeding played out one day a week in a downtown Caracas court. Due to the pandemic, sessions were held in front of a bank of dormant elevators in a hallway, apparently to take advantage of air flowing through open windows.

News media and rights groups were denied access to the hearings. There was no response to a letter addressed to Judge Lorena Cornielles seeking permission for AP to observe.

The office of Venezuela’s chief prosecutor said prior to the verdict in a statement to AP that investigators found “serious evidence” that corroborated financial crimes potentially damaging to the state-run company.

“The Citgo case has developed normally during all the stages established by the Venezuelan criminal process,” the statement said.

Loreto said his client appeared to have been caught up in a “geopolitical conflict” of which he was not a part. He said Vadell’s name never appeared on any of the documents prosecutors read into evidence.

“There’s nothing that refers to Tomeu in any way — directly or indirectly,” the lawyer said. “This is the story of a good guy being held against his will for all the wrong reasons.”

Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has negotiated the release of other Americans held by hostile governments, traveled to Caracas in July and met with Maduro.

He didn’t win their freedom, but days later two of them — Cárdenas and Toledo — were freed from jail and put in house detention. Two weeks later, the long-delayed trial began.

Richardson told AP that conversations with the Venezuelan government continue despite his meeting with Maduro being “a little stormy.” He said he he believes there is an opening tied to President-elect Joe Biden and a desire by Maduro to improve relations with Washington.

“I think the Venezuelans have been straight with me, but more progress needs to be made,” Richardson said before the verdict. “My hope is to have something positive by Christmas.”

It is not clear what approach Biden will take toward Maduro. Trump aggressively pressed to remove Maduro through sweeping financial sanctions and the U.S. Justice Department has indicted Maduro as a “narcoterrorist,” offering a $15 million reward for his arrest.

Vadell’s letter steered clear of politics. He didn’t mention Maduro or speak about his jailers, though he did express concern about the “consequences of repercussions” of speaking out.

With encouragement from his family, Vadell broke his silence, taking a risk relatives said was necessary.

“I believe it’s more important that the light of hope illuminates us,” Vadell wrote. “May the light of hope put an end to the sadness of my family.”

The five other men did not respond to invitations AP made through their lawyers to comment.

Vadell’s daughter, Cristina Vadell, said in a phone interview from Lake Charles, Louisiana, that her father isn’t the kind of person who seeks attention. Rather, he prefers to focus on work and his family.

During his 35-year career with PDVSA and Citgo, Vadell ended up running a refinery in Lake Charles and then became vice president of refining. The letter attempts to expose this side of his life, she said.

“I think he was willing to take some risks and open some hearts to allow him to come home,” she said. “I think he’s still wondering ‘What happened?’ He went to a work meeting and never came home.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

US Capitol violence: PM Modi appalled, says 'unlawful protests cannot subvert democratic process' https://ift.tt/35fy9nO

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned the storming of the US Capitol by the supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. PM in a tweet expressed his distress at the rioting and violence, asserting that democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.

Breaking News LIVE: Top Headlines This Hour https://ift.tt/30mZeTB

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 35 million, including more than 1,066,000 fatalities. More than 27,629,990 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. 

Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett as next justice of Supreme Court https://ift.tt/36gC99f

President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday, capping a dramatic reshaping of the federal judiciary that will resonate for a generation and that he hopes will provide a needed boost to his reelection effort.

New top story from Time: Elaine Thompson-Herah Breaks 100-m Olympic Record, Further Cementing Jamaica’s Sprint Legend

https://ift.tt/3igRaxq Elaine Thompson-Herah knew she had it won, the 100-m race on Saturday night at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. So the defending 100-m Olympic champion pointed at the scoreboard before the finish, just like fellow Jamaican, Usain Bolt, did at the 2008 Beijing Games. Her final time in the race was 10.61 seconds, a new Olympic record, breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.62 mark from the 1988 Olympics. It was the second-fastest 100-m time in history. If she hadn’t pointed, could Thompson-Herah have broken Flo-Jo’s world record mark, 10.49 seconds, that was also set in 1988? [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “Most definitely, if I wasn’t celebrating,” Thompson-Herah said after the race. Did she regret it at all? “No. No. No. No.,” said Thompson-Hearh, the Jamaican flag still draped over her shoulder from her victory lap. A gold medal and Olympic record was good enough; and it was a celebration to remember. Jamaica swept the 100-m race on Saturda...

FOX NEWS: Miniskirt named 'most iconic fashion statement of all time' in British survey

Miniskirt named 'most iconic fashion statement of all time' in British survey It’s official: Nobody remembers your sweet Members Only jacket from 1983. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2yTg1Dn

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J ज़ी5 की आगामी मिस्ट्री ड्रामा थ्रिलर 'माफ़िया’ इस दिन होगी रिलीज़!

ज़ी5 ने कुछ बेहतरीन थ्रिलर प्रस्तुत करने की प्रतिष्ठा हासिल कर ली है। हाल ही में काली 2, लालबाजार और नक्सल के साथ मनोरंजन करते हुए, ज़ी5 अब विशेष रूप से आपके लिए 10 जुलाई को एक मिस्ट्री ड्रामा थ्रिलर 'माफ़िया' from टेलीविजन की खबरें | Television News in Hindi | TV Serials Update in Hindi – FilmiBeat Hindi http:/hindi.filmibeat.com/television/mafia-will-be-released-on-10-july-zee5-090316.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-hindi-television-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.213.205.54&utm_campaign=client-rss

4th Street Transit Lane Offers Muni a Path Forward

4th Street Transit Lane Offers Muni a Path Forward By Bonnie Jean von Krogh A new transit lane was installed last week   on 4th Street in SoMA as part of the previously approved 4th Street Transit Improvement Project . As the first transit lane put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, this change will help protect Muni passengers as congestion returns to city streets. Transit lanes allow buses to complete trips in less time and turn around back into service more quickly. That means with our limited resources, we can provide more Muni service with the same number of buses, reducing crowding and maintaining better physical distancing onboard. The benefits that transit lanes provide – saving time and avoiding congestion – have become critically important during COVID-19 to protect the health of Muni passengers. Physical distancing requirements mean that Muni’s passenger capacity is cut in a third from pre-COVID levels. When buses ...

FOX NEWS: Woman who had to cancel birthday trip because of coronavirus recreates entire vacation at home in viral video

Woman who had to cancel birthday trip because of coronavirus recreates entire vacation at home in viral video There will be no crying for this birthday. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2Xwfa4W

Sushant Singh Rajput Death Case LIVE Updates: Actor's sister Shweta Singh Kirti hits back at Rhea Chakraborty https://ift.tt/3hEjyXe

Rhea Chakraborty's deleted WhatsApp chat has put the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in action. The team began their investigation on Thursday and reached Goa in search of Gaurav Arya, who was in contact with Sushant Singh Rajput's girlfriend Rhea in connection to buying and selling drugs. The move came after NCB filed an FIR against the actress and two others. On the other hand, Rhea Chakraborty's claims that Sushant's family didn't love him and he hadn't met his father in five years received a sharp reply from Sushant's sister Shweta Singh Kirti.

New top story from Time: What to Watch For In Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s First Presidential Debate

https://ift.tt/3kSr0zp Four years ago, Donald Trump prepared to debate his general-election opponent for the first time. Down in the polls to an experienced, traditional pol, he had been reduced to spreading weird rumors and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the vote, even as questions swirled about his personal finances. Now Trump is the incumbent president, and the conditions could not be more different as he prepares for his first debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday: a nation wracked by disease, disorder and disasters; an election neither candidate is treating like a foregone conclusion. And yet the similarities to 2016 are striking, from new questions about Trump’s taxes to another open Supreme Court seat . The main similarity, of course, is Trump—a singular political figure who has intensely polarized the nation. The debate, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, is especially momentous because voters ha...