This site has been under a relentless DDoS attack since 17 July (peaking at over 25 million requests per second), apologies to our readers. While measures to mitigate it are taking place (not thanks to AWS, source of attacks), we have kept ourselves busy investigating corruption. In earlier posts, we exposed how Luis and Ignacio  Oberto, with the help of Alejandro Betancourt and Nervis Villalobos, set up a $4.5 billion money laundering scheme at PDVSA. Rafael Ramirez was central to it, and his approval was a must.

MT Europride, if a search would be run right now, is an oil products tanker, IMO 9157777, owned by Eurotankers Inc, a shipping company that was recently reported in the news for involvement in a gasoline cargo with Wilmer Ruperti. PDVSA sources have informed this site about a rather odd operation currently taking place with Europride in Venezuela. Fearing further sanctions, Europride is to become Almada. It is waiting at the ready to be released. Trouble is, paperwork coming from a fresh registered @gmail address is all dodgy. TIPCO, through Asdrubal Chavez as per our sources, is involved.

Got a phone call the other day from Ricard Poy, a very good source in all things Andorra, to tell me that his book, "Las Siete Plagas de BPA", was published. This is great news, as I have known the fierce opposition there's been for Ricard's book, not least from constraints imposed by his former employer (Diari d'Andorra), and from the Cierco brothers (money launderers that owned Banca Privada d'Andorra - BPA).

SEE UPDATE BELOW - The latest back in chavista land is that Reliance, Mukesh Ambani's energy company, is due to lift four cargoes in August, in addition to 1MB lifted in early July. Sources have informed this site that Reliance has gotten an OFAC license from U.S. Treasury to trade with PDVSA. A call made to Treasury to corroborate was replied with an explanation that only licensee/s, or their legal counsel, can obtain information about own license/s: no information can be given to third parties.