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 INFODIO's former editor's full name, and a fake email address (alek.boyd.arregui at 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.

Rafael Ramirez, Zapatero, PETROSUR, Maduro...

Rafael Ramirez, the man who single-handedly administered over a trillion dollars during his tenure, as both PDVSA CEO and Venezuela's Minister of Energy, is accusing chavismo of corruption in granting oil concessions. In the last episode of Ramirez' derangement series, he accused former Spanish Prime Minister (Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero), of being a representative of shady operator Alberto Cortina, in getting sweet deals from Nicolas Maduro. Nothing readers of this site didn't know already. But Ramirez seems forgetful of concessions granted under his watch, for which the same group of people paid $904 million worth of "bonuses" to PDVSA.

Ramirez is a blogger now. He seems to have a lot of spare time to write nowadays. In one of his latest posts, he uses the picture of Nicolas Maduro dining in Salt Bae's restaurant, to criticise Maduro's disastrous administration. This is the same Ramirez that exhibited the same lack of empathy towards plight of Venezuelans, dining at Peter Luger in New York City when still at the post of Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN.

This is the same Ramirez who sat at the helm of PDVSA, for 12 years, and squandered the largest amount of income seen in Venezuela's history. This is the same Ramirez who kept filing budget requests with Maduro, so that rampant corruption and misappropriation of sovereign funds could carry on as usual. This is the same Ramirez filmed, during a PDVSA workers meeting, threatening those opposed to the regime's diktats. The same Ramirez whose direct relatives are ear deep (thanks to him) in almost impossible to quantify global graft. The same Ramirez directly involved in giving no-bid contracts to power plant procurement companies found by Swiss authorities to have paid in excess of $160 million worth of bribes...

Insane, deranged, deluded, sociopath... how can Ramirez's writings of late be described? It's as if his history, track record and actions at top of government never happened, as if personal responsibility in current mess can simply be avoided with accusations to his current foes. Ramirez is a writer that doesn't know the existence and meaning of certain words. Someone should gift him a dictionary, since he now claims that he earns his living from "honest" work.

Add to Breaking news
Off