[News] Parallel Cabinet of Right-Wing Venezuelans Rules El Salvador alongside President Bukele

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://orinocotribune.com/uncovered-parallel-cabinet-of-right-wing-venezuelans-rules-el-salvador-alongside-president-bukele/
Uncovered:
Parallel Cabinet of Right-Wing Venezuelans Rules El Salvador alongside
President BukeleJune 14, 2021
------------------------------

An investigation carried out by the Salvadorian online media outlet El Faro
<https://elfaro.net/es/202106/el_salvador/25520/El-gabinete-oculto-de-venezolanos-que-gobierna-con-Bukele-y-su-familia.htm>
detailed the relationship and hidden influence that exists between leaders
of the Venezuelan right and the government of the President of El Salvador,
Nayib Bukele.

The investigation detailed a hidden structure led by at least 10 Venezuelan
advisers, in which their contracts, fees and responsibilities are not
available to the public, but are greater than various Salvadoran ministers.

Throughout the investigation, the names of Venezuelan extreme-right
individuals and members of the political party *Voluntad Popular* [Popular
Will] came to light. Among those which stood out were Lester Toledo, Carlos
Vecchio, and Sarah Abdel Karim Hanna Georges—who was an assistant to the
fugitive from justice Leopoldo López and his wife, Lilian Tintori.

El Faro reported that most of these 10 Venezuelan advisers are linked to
the former deputy and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó. They
also have ties to the leadership of the terrorist group *Voluntad Popular*.

“I summarize it like this: for almost every minister, they have a
Venezuelan behind them giving orders,” explained a friend of the Venezuelan
advisers.

RELATED CONTENT: Bukele Breaks With the OAS: ‘We Made the Mistake of
Putting our Trust in Them’
<https://orinocotribune.com/bukele-breaks-with-the-oas-we-made-the-mistake-of-putting-our-trust-in-them/>

*How does the structure of the Venezuelan cabinet work in El Salvador?*
The operation of this parallel cabinet has been at work since at least
February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic began. At that time, they
began to give orders to the ministers of the cabinet for economy, health
and other state institutions.

As evidence of these links, the news outlet presented statements and
photographs taken during activities of the government and Bukele’s New
Ideas party.

They also spoke with three government officials and two employees, a
businessman, and two diplomats who bore witness to the work of the
Venezuelan advisers. However, they asked not to be identified for fear of
losing their jobs or suffering reprisals.

“The testimonies of these 10 sources allow us to draw an unofficial
organizational chart: a parallel structure where the chief of staff is not
the Cabinet Operations commissioner, Carolina Recinos, but a Venezuelan:
Sarah Abdel Karim Hanna Georges,” the investigation concluded.

The Venezuelans serve as a liaison between the Bukele family and the
government of El Salvador and the New Ideas party. They give instructions
through WhatsApp groups.

Hanna is at the top of the structure, while others have specific areas in
the expanded cabinet and are accountable to her. Below her is Miguel Sabal,
in charge of logistics and recruiting Venezuelans in Caracas to work with
the government of El Salvador and Bukele.

Then there are the advisers in each area: Miguel Arvelo, in health; Tomás
Hernández, in the economic cabinet; Roddy Rodríguez, in education and
foreign affairs; Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, on transparency issues, and liaison
with the Court of Audits and CICIES [International Commission on Corruption
and Impunity in El Salvador].

RELATED CONTENT: Salvadoran Congress Dismisses Justices and Attorney
General Not Aligned with Bukele
<https://orinocotribune.com/salvadoran-congress-dismisses-justices-and-attorney-general-not-aligned-with-bukele/>

For his part, Santiago Rosas has been in charge of preparing the
Territorial Control Plan, which has never been publicly presented, and
Ernesto Herrera has served as an adviser to the Ministry of Security.

The second in command is Lester Toledo, who had already worked with Bukele
for the New Ideas campaign, but is now in charge of designing the Emergency
Health Program (PES).

Two employees at the seat of the presidency (CAPRES) told El Faro that the
Venezuelan’s fees come from the Institutional Directorate and
Administration/General Administration of the Private Secretariat of the
Presidency of the Republic, and that they all have consultancy contracts.

The relationship with these advisers began to be built during Bukele’s
campaign for the 2019 presidential election.

*Who are the Venezuelans who work for Bukele?*
“I learned that the person designated by the Government of El Salvador to
coordinate with COVAX and to provide details to the international community
about its implementation is her (Hanna),” said one of the sources.

Miguel Sabal Matheus is the highest-ranking adviser in the Venezuelan
leadership, appointed following his participation in organizing the
logistics for the alleged humanitarian aid that would have entered
Venezuela from Cúcuta [Colombia] in 2019.

El Faro was able to verify that, in February 2014, Sabal established the
Futuro Presente Inc. Foundation in Miami alongside Sarah Hanna, dedicated
to training leaders who have ended up occupying positions with Popular Will.

According to government sources, the Venezuelan Ernesto Herrera Núñez
advised the Ministry of Security, and also worked in the municipality of El
Hatillo, Caracas, between 2013-2017  (Caracas), when it was directed by
David Smolansky [of Popular Will].

*Featured image: Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele and Venezuelan fake
ambassador to the US, Carlos Vecchio. Photo courtesy of RedRadioVE.*

(RedRadioVE
<https://redradiove.com/destapan-gabinete-oculto-de-dirigentes-derechistas-venezolanos-gobernando-con-bukele-en-el-salvador>)
by Ana Perdigon

Translation: Orinoco Tribune



<https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20210614/d93866fb/attachment.htm>