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Odebrecht Links Deepen for Venezuelan Opposition Figure Printer friendly page Print This
By Staff Writers, teleSUR
teleSUR
Sunday, Feb 26, 2017

Governor of the state of Miranda Henrique Capriles | Photo: EFE

Venezuelan far-right opposition figure and governor of the state of Miranda, Henrique Capriles, is the latest Latin American leader to be embroiled in the massive Odebrecht corruption scandal. Capriles was denounced Friday in front of the Public Ministry for allegedly receiving US$3 million from the Brazilian construction company.

In a press release from the NGO Anti-Corruption Front, president Luis Tellerias said that an investigation was under way into Capriles.

“We are asking that the Prosecutor's Office order a precautionary measure to alienate and tax the assets owned by Mr. Capriles coming from the crime, and that a custodial measure be declared,” the statement said.

“In Brazil, an investigation is already under way and the Swiss bank has been ordered to deliver the movements on Odebrecht’s deposits to Capriles,” Tellerias continued.

Earlier reports by the Wall Street Journal linked Capriles with the wide-reaching Odebrecht scandal, where the the construction company reportedly made contracts with the state of Miranda.

The Anti-Corruption Front said that since the media reports, “new elements” were presented against Capriles, and that Capriles would have received funding from Odebrecht for his 2013 presidential campaign. Capriles has denied the allegations, saying the company operated in Miranda before he was governor.

Capriles has twice run for the presidency, but lost in 2012 to late President Hugo Chavez and in 2013 to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He is one of the main figures within the opposition MUD coalition, and has been pushing for a referendum to recall Maduro. He has even argued to change the country’s constitution to oust the Venezuelan president.

Earlier this month, Venezuela's Prosecutor's Office reported that the Venezuelan judiciary froze Odebrecht bank accounts and assets within the country.

Odebrecht is Latin America's biggest construction company and is part of a massive international corruption investigation over paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes in association with construction projects, as well as a worldwide money laundering scheme.

The scandal stretches across 12 countries including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, the U.S. and Switzerland and has already embroiled a number of political figures across the region including Peru’s former President Alejandro Toledo.


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