Message to INFODIO readers: investigative journalism, which is what this site does, takes lots of time. Visiting media looking for a quick run down on Venezuela's gargantuan corruption, have the decency to at least cite the source when plagiarising this site's content without attribution (exhibit Reuters here and here, exhibit Bloomberg here, exhibit OCCRP here). To all readers, do the right thing, the honest thing: support independent investigative journalism, help us expose rampant corruption. Note added 28/06/2021: impostors are using this site's former editor's full name, and a fake email address (alek.boyd.arregui@gmail.com) to send copyright infringement claims / take down requests to web hosting companies (exhibit Hostgator). The attempt is yet another effort paid by corrupt thugs to erase information about their criminal activities. Infodio.com has no issues with other websites / journalists using / posting information published here, so long as the source is properly cited.

Javier Alvarado Ochoa arrested on corruption charges

Great news this morning out of Spain: Javier Alvarado Ochoa, former chief of CORPOELEC and BARIVEN, godfather of Derwick Associates in granting no-bid contracts worth hundreds of millions and partner in crime of Rafael Ramirez and Nervis Villalobos, got arrested yesterday in Madrid on corruption and bribe payment charges. Alvarado was one of the principal architects of a monumental graft scheme currently being probed by prosecutors in Andorra, Spain, Portugal and the U.S. Just in BARIVEN, Alvarado managed a yearly procurement budget of $7 billion.

Alvarado had been living in Austria and Spain, a country that recently granted him citizenship. This could've probably been a calculated move to avoid extradition to the U.S., something other utterly corrupt chavistas arrested in Spain have managed to do.

Alvarado and Villalobos were charged by Judge Yesenia Maza Rojas in a Caracas court with misapproriation, criminal association and money laundering in April 2015. In July 2016 a request to bring the case to the criminal chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court was filed and dealt with Maikel Moreno, who rejected the request considering the case "did not affect public order", and thus did not merit Supreme Court's review. Luisa Ortega Diaz, then Venezuela's Attorney General, ensured Villalobos and Alvarado case was sent to oblivion.

Add to Breaking news
Off