Photo composition showing Juan Guaidó (right) and EVTV's executive Carlos Méndez with FBI agents in the background. Photo: X/@Cyberpatria.
International media has reported how the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the destination of multi-million funds approved by the White House as humanitarian aid for the “government” of the self-proclaimed Venezuelan president, Juan Guaidó.
According to reports, the FBI visited the headquarters of the EVTV Miami channel, run by media entrepreneur Carlos Méndez, to question him about the diversion of funds to his media outlet. The FBI suspects that much of the humanitarian aid supposedly directed to Venezuela ended up in the possession of Méndez and his channel, which Guaidó tried to replace teleSUR with.
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TeleSur reported that sources close to Guaidó, whose identity was not specified, said that Méndez would have to clarify what the federal agents were looking for in his channel and how much money he received from Guaidó.
A Democratic spokesman stated that Méndez would also be implicated in the embezzlement of funds granted during the administration of former President Donald Trump (2017-2021). The embezzled funds from the Trump Administration exceeded $2 billion, in addition to funds from Joe Biden’s administration.
The spokesman said that Méndez is not the only one implicated. Carlos Vecchio, Guaidó’s former ambassador to the US, Yon Goicochea, who managed funds from the White House during Guaidó’s “government,” and Roberto Marrero, former head of Guaidó’s “office,” are also part of the aforementioned embezzlement scheme.
FBI investiga por malversación a colaboradores de Juan Guaidó. Sospecha que gran parte de fondos dirigidos a Venezuela terminaron en poder de Carlos Méndez y su canal EVTV Miami, que Guaidó intentó usar para sustituir a teleSUR. https://t.co/1N16NcRG7C via @shareaholic
— Jorge Gestoso (@JorgeGestoso) December 24, 2023
An arrest warrant, the blocking of accounts and the seizure of assets were issued against Roberto Marrero and Eduardo Sapene, whom Guaidó appointed to manage the multiplatform. These measures were also imposed against Leopoldo Castillo and Larissa Patiño, appointed in the same function.
Méndez was also investigated by the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office. His channel in Miami was intended to be used to distribute teleSUR’s signal and place it supposedly “at the service of democracy,” according to international media.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/ECS/SF
