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.
UPDATED 22/06/2021 - 08:10 GMT - This site has seen emails that show that Michael Baer, also known as Michael Philipp Bär or Mike Baer, was seeking capital investment for his MBaer Merchant Bank AG in the U.S. from Francisco D'Agostino in early October 2017. So we went to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) database (EDGAR) to see whether there were any records of Mr Baer, or any of the recent companies he appears associated with.
The U.S. Treasury announced yesterday "Treasury Targets Venezuelan Oil Sector Sanctions Evasion Network", whereby Francisco D'Agostino, Alessandro Bazzoni, Philipp Apikian, Elemento and a network of six ships and 14 shells are designated "for their ties to a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector." The news won't come as a surprise to readers of this site.
There's been a few developments in Venezuela's oil sector that have gone under the radar. One of them is related to one of Derwick Associates: Francisco D'Agostino. The other involves Petrozamora, the PDVSA - Gazprombank joint venture where Derwick Oil & Gas is a partner.
Petróleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA as it is commonly referred to, is an oil conglomerate fully owned by the Venezuelan State. Despite much propaganda to the contrary, it was created in 1976, by then President Carlos Andres Pérez, as part of a nationalization policy drive that gave Venezuela full control of exploration, production and commercialization of its natural resources.
Read an updated version here. Petróleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA as it is commonly referred to, is an oil conglomerate fully owned by the Venezuelan State. Despite much propaganda to the contrary, it was created in 1976, by then President Carlos Andres Pérez, as part of a nationalization policy drive that gave Venezuela full control of exploration, production and commercialization of its natural resources.
Lawyers for Otto Reich in the RICO lawsuit against Derwick Associates (Alejandro Betancourt, Pedro Trebbau and Francisco D'Agostino) claim in latest filing (page 7 below) that D'Agostino (in turn son in law of Bolivarian banker Víctor Vargas of Banco Occidental de Descuento fame) "in exchange for his dismissal from this lawsuit, offered to provide information to Ambassador Reich that would be damning to Betancourt and Trebbau."
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