Skip to content
November 30, 2023
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas

Primary Menu
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About us
    • About us
    • Who we are – Becoming a Volunteer
    • Editorial guidelines for contributors
    • Our Sources
      • Venezuelan Sources
      • International Sources
    • Contact us
  • Categories
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Security and Defense
    • International
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Oceania
      • US/Canada
    • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
      • South America
      • Central America and the Caribbean (+Mexico)
    • Ideology-Commune-Labor
    • Health-Education-Sport-Culture-Technology
    • Solidarity and Social Movements
    • OT Specials
  • Support Us
Light/Dark Button
YouTube Channel
  • Home
  • News
  • Guaido’s Representatives Involved in Corruption Scandal in Colombia (Humanitarian Aid)
  • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
  • News
  • Politics

Guaido’s Representatives Involved in Corruption Scandal in Colombia (Humanitarian Aid)

June 15, 2019

Orlando Avendaño, editor in chief of PanamPost en Español, which has always been characterized by a virulent editorial line against the Venezuelan government, published a controversial article on Friday, June 14, revealing an immense corruption scandal involving Rossana Barrera and Kevin Rojas, emissaries of Juan Guaidó in Colombia and activists of Voluntad Popular, who allegedly diverted money, misappropriated funds, fraud and threats in the handling of money destined for “humanitarian aid” and the lodging of Venezuelan military deserters. He denounces how they surrounded themselves with luxuries, and that even the food donated by dozens of countries ended up rotting.

In the article, entitled “Guaido’s emissaries appropriated funds for humanitarian aid in Colombia,” Avendaño shares photos of invoices and expresses his frustration at the serious corruption and the silence of Guaidó, Leopoldo López and his press chief, in tacit reference to Alberto Federico Ravell.

Avendaño also shows his disappointment for the Venezuelan military who deserted to Cúcuta and were presented as “heroes” who rebelled against Maduro. “The decent military men who are there you can count on your fingers,” he says, quoting a Cúcuta source. He also points out that not all “fled” from Venezuela, but many had emigrated to Peru or Ecuador months or years ago, and that some were even “civilians with forged documents”.

RELATED CONTENT: After Exposing ‘Corrupted’ Brazilian Government, Journalist Glenn Greenwald Faces Deportation Warning and Death Threats

guaido043540954.png
Document in which Guaidó names Kevin Rojas and Rossana Barrera as their “representas” (sic) on February 24 before the Colombian government,

All were promised a stay in hotels, stripends for them and their family; medicine, food, hospital, “whatever they need”, with the promise that they would be comfortable, they would have privileges and they would be honored. They became, supposedly, 1,450 military who were staying in seven hotels, but who “made a very bad impression in Cúcuta: prostitutes, alcohol and violence. They demanded and demanded more and more”.

The journalist reveals: “They gave me all the evidence. Invoices that show excesses and, several, very strange, of different registers, signed the same day and with identical writing styles. Almost all without a stamp. Expenses of more than 3 million pesos in Colombian hotels and nightclubs, per night. About a thousand dollars in drinks and meals. Clothing expenses in very expensive stores in Bogotá and in Cúcuta. Vehicle rental reports and hotel payments at surcharge. Silver flowing. A lot of money”. Colombian intelligence was the first to detect the anomaly, says the journalist.

Add:

“Barrera, designated by Guaidó, began to develop a whole network to misuse funds related to humanitarian aid and the maintenance of the military in Cúcuta. As confirmed by three different sources, Barrera reported to Caracas the payment of the seven hotels in which the uniformed and their families were staying. Caracas disbursed the funds; nevertheless, to Venezuela, he emphasized, only two hotels corresponded”.

Clarifies the author of the text that, according to Colombian intelligence, Barrera and Rojas had inflated the number of deserters. There were 700 and they were not 1,450, as they came to report.

It also reports how the two emissaries tried to give “charitable” dinners to raise funds, supposedly hidden from the person that Guaidó illegally designated as his supposed “ambassador” in Colombia, Humberto Calderón Berti. They used a fake email to impersonate him. The dinner had to be canceled because the “ambassador” found out about it and said he had not authorized it. It would be held in the luxurious restaurant Pajares Salina, located in the exclusive Chicó Norte neighborhood in Bogotá.

RELATED CONTENT: Roberto Marrero’s Arrest: “Operacion Libertad” Background

Avendaño insists that the scandal was an open secret, and that the corruption was so well known, that Barrera and Rojas were removed from their posts because of the annoyance that existed in the Colombian government. Guaidó and Leopoldo López were aware, according to Avendaño, who clarifies that he contacted them but they did not offer an answer. “Caracas defended both of them (Barrera and Rojas). There were threats and attempts were made to divert responsibility towards the Calderón Berti embassy,” the journalist said.

On the reaction of the government of Colombia, Avendaño wrote:

“The Government of Colombia is upset. Very annoyed. This, together with the fact that it was never notified of the Scandinavian dialogues and the mistakes made on February 23, this has led them to wonder what is the concept that Venezuelans have for an ‘ally ‘.”

The report indicates that Rossana Barrera had to go to the embassy on May 27, supported by deputy Luis Florido. “The folder that she delivered was small. Very few pages for all the scandalous information handled by Colombian intelligence,” explained PanamPost. “In the end, Barrera was able to provide a rather rough support of US $ 100,000 that she had spent during her stay in Cúcuta. Several amounts that she turned in did not correspond to reality. The figure is formidable but, as the intelligence member told me, it falls short”.

“The food is rotten”
The article ends with the complaint that “at least 60% of all food donated by allies of the Government of Juan Guaidó was damaged. They showed me pictures without sharing with me. The food is rotten, he tells me”. Rojas y Barrera, along with other emissaries from Guaidó, such as Miguel Sabal, were also responsible for handling tons of humanitarian aid that arrived in Cúcuta, from several countries.

“Everything President Piñera sent is no longer useful. It is there. They do not know what to do with it so that a scandal is not created. They will burn it, I imagine”.

Reactions
The revelations generated immediate reactions from Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), who barely 28 minutes after the article was published, said in the Twitter network: “We request competent jurisdiction to clarify serious charges filed here, determine responsibilities and demand accountability. There is no possible democratization under the opacity of acts of corruption”.

34344343.png

Guaidó himself also responded on Twitter, noting that the delegation in Colombia “has handled the military situation in that country with austerity and economic limitations.” He asked Calderón Berti “to formally ask Colombian intelligence agencies for the necessary investigation. Transparency before everything!”. To which Calderón Berti replied : “We are working on the final phase of auditing this regrettable and embarrassing case. Our commitment to the country is to get to the bottom of the matter.”

The Venezuelan vice president of communication, Jorge Rodríguez, also referred to the article and responded : “On March 23 we denounced the gigantic corruption plot of Guaidó with money sent to Cúcuta to recruit assassins. They appear (in Marrero’s cell phone) a relation of #GuaidóLadrón with ‘Rosana de Cúcuta’ and the accounts where Rosana (Barrera) deposits hundreds of thousands of dollars”.

Some of the evidence published by PanamPost:

Source URL: Alba Ciudad

Translated by JRE/EF

Don't want to be a victim of the Algorithm?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY DIGEST WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA AND BEYOND

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

orinocotribune
Website | + posts
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (left) and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez (right). Photo: X/@ViceVenezuela.
    November 30, 2023
    Venezuela Reports Steady Economic Growth Over Last 9 Quarters
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    Opposition governor of Zulia state, Manuel Rosales, speaking on the Essequibo dispute and the consultative referendum at the 'Venezuela Defends the Essequibo' event this Tuesday, November 28. Photo: X/@ViceVenezuela.
    November 30, 2023
    Opposition Governor Rosales Condemns International Silence in Face of Guyana's Claims
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    Refrential photo of an oil rig. Photo: ECS Geothermal/File photo.
    November 29, 2023
    European Oil Corporations Eager to Resume Business With Venezuela Despite Sanction Uncertainty
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    Judge's gavel laying on a pack of $100 bills. Photo: File photo.
    November 28, 2023
    Essequibo Dispute: Evidence Surfaces of ExxonMobil Payments to Guyana
Tags: Colombia Corruption cucuta Humberto Calderon Berti Juan Guaido Kevin Rojas Leopoldo Lopez Luis Almagro Orlando Avendano Rossana Barrera

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Continue Reading

Previous Previous post:

Millions of Brazilians Join General Strike and Protests Against President’s Austerity Reforms

Next Next post:

5 Elements to Understand Guaido-Gate (Colombia Edition)

Subscribe to Weekly Digest

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

NEWS: MOST POPULAR

Calendar

November 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Oct    

Categories

OPINION: MOST POPULAR

We are on Telegram


Receive our news directly in your cell phone or PC, join us on our TELEGRAM channel.

 

We are on Discord


Join our Discord server to check our content without algorithms and to interact directly with our team.

The original content by Orinoco Tribune is free to share and it is licensed under CC BY 4.0

We are on Reddit

If you are more into REDDIT, join our Orinoco Tribune subreddit.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Copyleft, No rights reserved.

Orinoco Tribune celebrates its 5th anniversary. We are not funded by ads, governments, think tanks, or large institutions. Our operations are entirely funded by readers like you.

We are urging our readers and supporters, especially those not currently doing so, to help us with small donations (such as US $5 or $10/month) via Patreon, via Paypal/Credit-Card/crypto or via paper checks.

Let us reach our anniversary goal of $750 in monthly Patreon donations. We are counting on you as our only source of financial support! You can also help us by volunteering with us or by helping us get much necessary equipment.

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.