Two Venezuelans arrested in Bogotá for embezzling millions of dollars from PDVSA

Two Venezuelan citizens identified as Francisco de Pinto Chimienti and Domenica de Pinto Chimienti were arrested in BogotáColombia, by officials of the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of millions of dollars against PDVSA.

The arrest of the two Venezuelans, who had an Interpol red alert, took place on September 14 at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport.

Court documents indicate that the De Pinto Chimienti They would have defrauded the Venezuelan State of 10 million dollars for the manufacture of plastic gas cylinders.

How did the De Pinto Chimienti brothers embezzle millions of dollars from PDVSA?

Through their company Gavenplast CA, the two Venezuelans detained in Bogotá accused They requested loans from different institutions such as Bancoex, Pdvsa, Pdvsa Gas, Bandes and Banco de Venezuela to allegedly start a project to improve gas distribution in the country by implementing plastic cylinders, which were safer and would be produced in the country.

In addition to this agreement, signed at the time by the then president of PDVSA Eulogio del Pino, the De Pinto Chimienti were among the businessmen who received contracts within the framework of the Petrocaribe Agreement in 2015.

However, they were granted their first loan in the industry in 2004, by the late President Hugo Chavez, when they were given 1.3 million dollars to reactivate the company that would be dedicated to petrochemicals and plastics.

The loans granted since 2017 have not been cancelled, and there is no evidence of the production of the aforementioned cylinders.

In 2018, the De Pinto Chimienti family was present together with the management of Pdvsa Gas Comunal with a display of plastic cylinders at the Expo Venezuela Potencia. Also, in November of that year, the Venezuelan Embassy in Cuba reported that the “Composite Cylinders for LPG” made by Gavenplast SA had won a prize for design and innovation at the Havana International Fair.

Later, in 2019, the then governor of Zulia, Hugo Prieto, said that he would buy 10,000 cylinders for that year and another 50,000 for 2020, which would allow their renewal in the communities of the state.

Extradition of two Venezuelans detained in Bogotá requested

The arrest of the two Venezuelan brothers in Bogotá is carried out following the arrest request issued on August 21 by the Fourth Control Court of the state of Zulia, where the company is located, specifically in Industrial Zone II.

The Venezuelan State has initiated a process to request the extradition of Francisco de Pinto Chimienti and Domenica de Pinto Chimienti. Both are accused of misuse of public funds, money laundering and criminal association.