Guaido Steals US$40 Million of Venezuelan Assets, Report Holds

Opposition politician Juan Guaido would have stolen US$40 million of Venezuela's foreign assets that were aimed at humanitarian aid, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

RELATED:

Airline Workers Confront Juan Guaido Over New Sanctions

The U.S.-backed opposition needed money to implement its plan to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro's government from abroad. 

According to The Washington Post, Miami-based Venezuelan businessmen Jorge Reyes and Pedro Antar offered a plan to get that money by seeking Venezuelan assets in Latin America. 

The assets included companies' shares, cars, houses, and other properties owned by the Oil Company of Venezuela (PDVSA).

The corruption scandal also involves an Argentinean lawyer identified as Sebastian Vidal, Javier Troconis who was appointed as Venezuelan assets management commissioner, and Jose Hernandez, Guaido's attorney general.

The U.S.-based outlet had access to reports on contracts signed by the Guaido's delegates during the process of identifying and recovering the assets.

"Troconis signed with a South Florida law firm to recover a U.K.-based account that contained nearly US$1.7 billion owned by Venezuela's Food Ministry," the Washington Post revealed.

Another contract disclosed that Guaido condoned half of the US$269 million debt that Paraguay agrees to owe PDVSA. Although both agreements were made under Guaido's consent, he denies any involvement in this scandal.

"Those acts evidence the irregular management of Venezuelan assets abroad, a situation allowed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration," the report adds.