In a case of corruption, Álvaro Pulido, one of the main partners of Alex Saab, is arrested in Venezuela

( Spanish) — A police source close to the investigation told that the Colombian businessman Álvaro Pulido was arrested, in the framework of the PDVSA-Cripto case, in which —according to figures from the Public Ministry— there are 35 people arrested.

The source did not offer additional details about the case.

unsuccessfully tried to contact the Colombian businessman’s defense for comment.

In October 2021, the United States government offered a US$10 million reward for information that could lead to the arrest and/or conviction of Pulido Vargas, also known —the US authorities specify— as German Enrique Rubio, whom they accuse of “money laundering in connection with a foreign bribery scheme.”

In another 2019 statement, the State Department indicated that Pulido was a partner of Alex Saab, also of Colombian origin and currently detained and prosecuted in the United States, accused of money laundering. Saab has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and has denounced being politically persecuted. As part of Saab’s defense, the Venezuelan government argues that when he was detained in Cape Verde, he had diplomatic status in that country.

On March 17, the National Anti-Corruption Police of Venezuela announced an investigation in the different public powers to determine possible cases of corruption. So far, there are 55 people arrested accused of various schemes, including a mayor, a former deputy from the government party and three judges, as well as businessmen and officials from the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela and the mining company Corporación Venezolana de Guayana.

The Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, reported this Monday that a total of 67 arrest warrants have been issued, of which 55 have been executed and 12 remain pending apprehension. He added that up to that moment, 142 raids had been carried out throughout the country.

In the midst of this scandal, Tareck El Aissami resigned as Oil Minister on March 20; hours later, he was replaced by the president of PDVSA, Pedro Tellechea, by designation made by the questioned president, Nicolás Maduro. tried to contact El Aissami without getting a response so far. Since March 20, he has not spoken publicly.