( Spanish) — A United States federal judge sentenced Claudia Patricia Díaz Guillén, who was director of the Venezuelan National Treasury Office during the government of the late President Hugo Chávez, to 15 years in prison for crimes related to money laundering, according to a judicial resolution.
Díaz Guillén’s husband, Adrián José Velásquez, who was part of Chávez’s security team, also received the same sentence.
In December 2022, both were found guilty of conspiracy to launder assets and money laundering, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) reported at the time.
The couple’s lawyer in the US, Marissel Descalzo, told on Wednesday that Díaz Guillén and Velásquez will appeal the sentence.
Díaz Guillén and Velásquez were arrested in 2018 in Spain and extradited to the United States in May and October 2022, respectively.
According to US prosecutors and the prosecution, Díaz Guillén and her husband received more than $136 million in bribes from Raúl Gorrín, owner of the Globovisión television station in Venezuela.
Gorrín lives in Venezuela and has been declared a fugitive by the US Justice, also on charges of money laundering.
According to the file, the businessman sought preferential access to purchase Venezuelan government bonds and dollars at preferential rates between 2008 and 2017, years in which an exchange control regime was in force in the country.
According to the US Department of Justice, Gorrín allegedly “transferred money for and for the benefit” of the defendants, which was used for “private jets, yachts, houses, horses, high-end watches and a fashion line.” .
Gorrín has defended himself on several occasions on social networks and has said that US prosecutors are promoting a narrative motivated by “political interests” and that they do so “without evidence of any kind.”
Following the sentencing of Díaz Guillén y Velásquez, has also attempted to contact Gorrín for comment, but to date no response has been received.
Until this Wednesday the businessman had not ruled on the sentence either.
Osmary Hernandez contributed to this report.
