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WORLD NEWS Monday 27 March 2023

Venezuela: 21 officials, businessmen arrested in oil scheme

(AP) — Venezuela’s attor- crimes investigated by the
ney general said Saturday National Anti-Corruption
that 21 people, including Police. Among the 10 offi-
senior officials in the gov- cials arrested, according to
ernment of President Nico- the attorney general, are
lás Maduro and business Col. Antonio Pérez Suárez,
leaders, have been ar- the vice president of trade
rested in connection with a and quality supply at PDV-
corruption scheme involv- SA; Hugbel Roa, the former
ing international oil sales. minister of food; and Joselit
Prosecutor Tarek William Ramírez, the national su-
Saab said the alleged perintendent of cryptocur-
scheme involved selling rencies. Also arrested were
Venezuelan oil through the 11 businessmen, who will
country’s cryptocurrency be charged with appro-
oversight agency in paral- Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab speaks during priation or diversion of pub-
lel to the state-run Petróleos a news conference about corruption cases with the state run oil lic assets, influence ped-
de Venezuela SA. company, PDVSA, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, March 25, dling, money laundering
The oversight agency al- 2023. Saab said Saturday that 21 people, including senior of- and criminal association,
legedly signed contracts ficials in the government of President Nicolás Maduro and busi- Saab said, adding that the
ness leaders, have been arrested in connection with a corrup-
for the loading of crude tion scheme involving international oil sales. crime of treason against
on ships “without any type (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) the country will be added
of administrative control or to public officials’ charges.
guarantees,” violating le- powerful oil minister, Tareck charges. The U.S. govern- Corruption has long been
gal regulations, Saab said, El Aissami, resigned amid ment designated El Aissami rampant in Venezuela,
without mentioning the allegations of corruption a narcotics kingpin in 2017 which sits atop the world’s
amounts involved. Once against some of his closest in connection with activi- largest petroleum reserves.
the oil was marketed, “the associates. ties in his previous positions But officials are rarely held
corresponding payments El Aissami said he resigned as interior minister and gov- accountable — a major ir-
were not made” to the to “accompany and fully ernor. El Aissami’s resigna- ritant to citizens, the major-
state oil company. support” the investigations. tion was announced two ity of whom live on $1.90
The attorney general’s For now, El Aissami, who days after the Public Minis- a day, the international
statement comes five days was one of Maduro’s trust- try appointed five prosecu- benchmark of extreme
after Venezuela’s once- ed ministers, is not facing tors to probe the alleged poverty.q

Mexico sanctioned for not protecting endangered porpoise

vaquita have failed,” said been taken.”
Sarah Uhlemann, interna- Mexico recently submitted
tional program director at a revised protection plan
the Center for Biological to CITES, after the body re-
Diversity. jected an earlier version.
“We hope these strong Mexico’s plan lists estab-
measures wake up the lishing “alternative fishing
Mexican government.” techniques” to gillnet fish-
Mexico’s Foreign Relations ing as one its top priorities.
Department said in a state- But in reality, the govern-
ment that CITES had ruled ment’s protection efforts
FILE - This undated file photo provided by The National Oce- that Mexico’s protection have been uneven, at
anic and Atmospheric Administration shows a vaquita por-
poise. Mexico announced in the first week of March 2023, that plan for the vaquita was in- best, and face often vio-
it is seeking to avoid potential trade sanctions for failing to stop sufficient. lent opposition from local
the near-extinction of the vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise Studies estimate there may fishermen.
and most endangered marine mammal. Studies estimate there be as few as eight vaqui- The administration of Presi-
may be as few as eight vaquitas remaining in the Gulf of Cali- tas remaining in the Gulf of dent Andrés Manuel López
fornia, the only place they exist and where they often become California, the only place has largely refused to spend
entangled in illegal gill nets and drown.
(Paula Olson/NOAA via AP File) they exist and where they money to compensate fish-
often become entangled ermen for staying out of
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- regulated animal and in illegal gill nets and drown. the vaquita refuge and to
ico acknowledged Satur- plant products like croco- The Foreign Relations De- stop using gill nets. The nets
day it faces sanctions from dile or snake skins, orchids partment said CITES had are set illegally to catch
the international wildlife and cactuses. Commercial ruled the protection plan totoaba, a fish whose swim
body known as CITES for seafood species like shrimp “inadequate” and said the bladders are a delicacy in
not doing enough to pro- would not be affected, full ruling — and possible China worth thousands of
tect the vaquita marina, a but the ruling sets a prece- sanctions — “will be official- dollars per pound.
small porpoise that is the dent and some groups are ly announced next week.” The government has also
world’s most endangered pushing for seafood import The Department called the sunk concrete blocks with
marine mammal. bans. ruling an “unequal treat- hooks to snare illegal nets
The sanctions have not “While no one relishes ec- ment of our country, be- in the last bit of the Gulf —
yet been announced, but onomically painful sanc- cause its did not take into also known as the Sea of
they could make it difficult tions, all other efforts to account the many and ex- Cortes — where the vaqui-
for Mexico to export some prompt Mexico to save the haustive actions that have tas have been seen.q