Representatives of Guaidó request Colombian prosecutor to investigate misuse of funds

[Warlock-]

Representatives of the interim government of Venezuela formally requested on Tuesday the Colombian prosecutor's office to open an investigation into the alleged diversion of funds destined for the attention of the Venezuelan military refugees in Cúcuta. The ambassador of the government of Juan Guaidó in Colombia, Humberto Calderón Berti, at a press conference from the office of the prosecutor, explained that he met with prosecutor Fabio Espitia Garzó, who gave instructions to his collaborators to carry out investigations into the case, and said he was sure that the case will reach its ultimate consequences. On Friday, June 14, the PanamPost news portal reported that the two people in charge of supervising the stay of the Venezuelan military men who fled to Cúcuta since February 23, when the opposition tried to send in the humanitarian aid stored there, would have diverted about $ 90,000, destined to serve between 100 and 140 ex-military.

"Unfortunately in my country they have become accustomed after 20 years of dictatorial rule, to ignore the protruding acts of corruption that have occurred. We can not allow this. Our message to the country is that we are different, we are different. We are going to act with absolute transparency, "the diplomat explained. The suspects indicated by the publication are Rossana Barrera and Kevin Rojas, both belong to the party of Guaidó, Voluntad Po[CENSORED]r, and Barrera is the sister-in-law of another deputy close to the opposition leader. Although he did not confirm the names in the complaint on the web portal, he did say that it would initially be two people. "Possibly some people will come out in the investigation," he added. "This has been done in a very serious way, very responsible. No cruelty against anyone, which is not what is intended. If not, give testimony that the government of the president (Juan) Guaidó and his collaborators are committed to defend transparency and that our governance is fully adjusted to the ethical and moral standards to which we are obliged ". The ambassador explained that the administrative investigation that he handed over to the authorities began approximately two and a half months ago when the embassy received an alert from those affected. Among the actions taken by those involved to divert funds, the diplomat said, there are adulterated bills, cat relations without vouchers and the misappropriation of some resources.

Calderón emphasized what Guaidó had already pointed out to the press the previous day: the funds in question are private collections. It would not be a matter of state funds or of the funds collected for humanitarian aid. For his part, the attorney general appointed by the ruling National Constituent Assembly, Tarek William Saab, said that, while Barrera and Rojas are the "material authors of the act, Guaidó is the intellectual author." Although the actions occurred in Colombia, Saab said that since these people are designated from Venezuela, it is up to their jurisdiction to investigate, "both the origin of the money and its use," he said.