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| Caribbean-Latin America | |
| Venezuela-Argentina bribery scandal continues | |
| 2010-07-12 | |
| Parallel embassy presumably remains active in Venezuela Argentina's Planning Minister Julio De Vido and his closer associates are still operating a "parallel embassy" in Venezuela, said the Argentine newspaper La Nación which obtained the information from "top level alert issued less than 10 days ago by the (Argentine) Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a confidential diplomatic cable." The Buenos Aires newspaper obtained a copy of the telegram. These "parallel" efforts were reported to the brand new Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, as published by La Nación. The minister was notified of the problem affecting some Argentine companies due to the misconduct of another De Vido's close associate, his former private secretary José MarÃa Olazagasti, also known as "the Basque." The scandal erupted after allegations on the alleged charge of a 15 to 20 percent commission to Argentine businessmen to export their products to Venezuela. The Argentine opposition party Coalición CÃvica (CC) reported an alleged illegal association led by former President Néstor Kirchner, husband of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who ruled Argentina between 2003 and 2007. The diplomat alert mentioned by the Argentine newspaper was issued on Friday, June 25. Meanwhile, the Argentine government denied that a close associate of De Vido conducted "parallel actions" at the embassy of Argentina in Venezuela. Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman said on July 5 that "there is nothing secret" in relations with Venezuela and denied again the existence of a "parallel embassy." "There can be no parallel embassies because I do not allow them as they are not necessary; and there was no trip of any official of any ministry that had not been previously approved by the Executive branch of government," Timerman told reporters.
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| Posted by:Steve White |