Swiss banks should be scrutinised for dirty money, says Venezuelan opposition activist
The Swiss financial watchdog is currently investigating potential violations of anti-money laundering standards in connection with Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)
Keystone
Maria-Alejandra Aristeguieta, the Swiss representative of Venezuela’s opposition alliance Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD), wants Switzerland to take a stronger stance against the Maduro regime and scrutinise its banks for money laundering offences.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Fascinated by human societies and the art of describing them – a curiosity nurtured by travel, personal encounters, and reading.
Speaking to swissinfo.ch at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy organised by the NGO UN Watch on Tuesday, Aristeguieta said that the Swiss foreign ministry and the country’s parliamentarians “remain cautious” when called upon to denounce the regime of President Nicolás Maduro.
“We find support from European, Canadian and Latin American parliamentarians, but not from Switzerland. Venezuela is no longer an important country for Switzerland,” she said.
According to Aristeguieta, who is also the Swiss coordinator of the Iniciativa Por Venezuela group, Switzerland and other countries “need to recognise that money from corruption, extortion and drug trafficking in Venezuela is coming into their banks”. She suspects that politicians and other members of the government have hidden money in Switzerland and called for their accounts scrutinised to ensure there is no “dirty money”. She pointed out that the former attorney general Luisa Ortega, who was recently in Switzerland, had indicated that that Venezuelans linked to the scandalous Brazilian group Odebrecht have accounts in Switzerland.
Money trail
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is currently investigating potential violations of anti-money laundering standards, including in connection with the Venezuelan state-owned oil group Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). The financial watchdog “is examining the extent to which Swiss institutions are involved and how the provisions of supervisory law have been enforced,” a spokesperson told the Swiss Press Agency on Wednesday.
A recent U.S. federal indictment accused five former Venezuelan officials of soliciting bribes to help vendors win favourable treatment from PDVSA and stashing the money in banks, including in Switzerland. According to the Tages-Anzeiger paper, two businessmen allegedly transferred $27 million in bribes to the Venezuelan officials into a Swiss bank account. The paper said the US indictment claimed that the $27 million was redistributed from the Swiss account to other local bank accounts.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
Luxury heir claims his CHF11 billion Hermès fortune has vanished
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss reporter released in Venezuela
This content was published on
Three journalists, including a Swiss, who had been detained in Venezuela while reporting on a prison, have been released, the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed. They were accused of possessing non-authorised recording equipment. The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to the Swiss News Agency that a Venezuelan court had released three journalists, including an Italian…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.