Venezuelan authorities arrest ex-Oil Minister over US links

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Oct 2024 20:56

The charges include the transfer of PDVSA's automated control system, which serves "the brain" of the oil company, to a firm "controlled by the US intelligence services."

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Venezuela's Oil Minister and President of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, Pedro Rafael Tellechea, speaks to members of the media during a manufacturers forum in Caracas on May 24, 2024 (AFP)

Venezuelan authorities have arrested a former oil minister accused of connections to a company linked to US intelligence services, as announced by the public prosecutor's office on Monday.

Pedro Tellechea, who served as the Petroleum Minister and led the state oil company PDVSA until August, was detained on Sunday along with several of his close associates, confirmed a statement from Attorney General Tarek William Saab.

The charges against them include the transfer of PDVSA's automated control system, which serves "the brain" of the oil company, to a firm "controlled by the US intelligence services," although the identities of the other detainees have not been disclosed.

The statement indicated that this action stems from an "exhaustive scientific investigation" and is part of a broader effort to combat "serious crimes that threaten the highest interests of the nation."

The Attorney General's Office stressed that this act not only constitutes a breach of legal protocols but also undermines Venezuela's national sovereignty.

Furthermore, the Attorney General asserted that Tellechea's arrest was conducted "in strict adherence to the law" and with the "full constitutional cooperation of the Head of State."

In March 2023, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appointed Tellechea, an army colonel, as Oil Minister following the resignation of his predecessor, Tareck El Aissami, amid an anti-corruption campaign.

El Aissami, along with dozens of others, was subsequently arrested in connection with an investigation into a purported multi-million dollar cryptocurrency fraud involving PDVSA.

Tellechea resigned in August to take on the role of Industry Minister. On Friday, Maduro appointed Alex Saab, the Colombian businessman released by the United States in December during a prisoner exchange, to succeed Tellechea in that position.

In a social media post, Tellechea cited "health problems that require my immediate attention" as the reason for his resignation from the Industry Ministry.