CARACAS, Tuesday September 16, 2008 | Update
The Venezuelan ruler downplayed accusations stemming from the suitcase scandal trial in Miami (File Photo/AP)
Politics
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said again that an
ongoing trial in Miami in connection with a suitcase stuffed
with USD 800,000 that was sent from Caracas to Buenos Aires
is a "trash operation."
The head of state explained that he did not talk about it
with his Argentinean counterpart Cristina Fernández de
Kirchner during a recent summit in Chile.
"The suitcase issue is not a big issue for us. It forms part,
as we have said, of a trash operation" undertaken by the US
government, Chávez told reporters.
"I wonder why the US government does not extradite the criminal;
that Venezuelan-US businessman protected there and charged
in Argentina with money laundering," Chávez commented
in reference to Guido Antonini Wilson, one of the leading
characters in the Miami´s lawsuit.
On August 4th, 2007, in Buenos Aires, Antonini was caught
in possession of a suitcase containing USD 800,000 in cash.
According to the evidence produced at the courthouse, the
money coming from state-run oil holding Petróleos de
Venezuela was set to finance Kirchner's presidential campaign,
AFP quoted.
05:09 PM. Economy. If any country has cashed in on the Bolivarian revolution, that is Brazil, particularly the private companies of the southern neighbor. Over the past five years, it has been awarded contracts for works to be carried out in Venezuela for over USD 14 billion. This puts it as the first recipient of government-to-government contracts, that is, without bidding, since Hugo Chávez took office.