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UPDATED [SEE BELOW] - Axios, largely perceived as the quasi-official propaganda organ of Marco Rubio and Donald Trump, gave some clues this morning about reasons behind the U.S. government's decision to pick Alejandro Betancourt as partner. Most of the stuff Infodio readers have known for years have been confirmed by Axios, but some claims merit further scrutiny.
The first one: ""No Betancourt, no energy-security deal," a U.S. official told Axios. "And Maduro might still be in power if it wasn't for him.""
This is, obviously, immaterial as far the oil deal is concerned, but when it comes to whether or not Maduro would still be in power, this site has never heard anything pointing at a critical participation of Betancourt in the removal of Maduro through Operation Southern Spear. Betancourt's circle knew that Maduro was going to be removed by end of 2025, but Betancourt himself didn’t have any role to play in making Delcy & Jorge Rodriguez, Diosdado Cabello or Vladimir Padrino compliant and playing dead while Maduro was being captured.
Second one: "Rodriguez urged Maduro in 2023 to bring back Betancourt, who had a reputation as a turnaround artist in Venezuela's oil sector." And Betancourt can be forever thankful to Harry Sargeant for that. Sargeant was the one playing good cop with Rodriguez. No comment needed regarding Betancourt's claimed "reputation", considering how Maduro and Delcy moved against him in 2023. Was the turnaround worked by Betancourt, or by a phone call from the Kremlin?
Third: "Betancourt also traveled to Moscow to hand-deliver a letter on behalf of Guaido's government asking Russia to stop backing Maduro."
So, finally, an admission about the ease with which Betancourt moves with the powers that be in Moscow. Indeed, this site published many years ago about Betancourt's connections at the highest levels of Russia's FSB and Gazprom, ie Kremlin-sanctioned. They are, in fact, partners to this day.
Fourth: "Maduro required Betancourt to stay away from the Venezuelan opposition, a source said, and to take on "the only gringo I trust," Palm Beach oilman Harry Sargeant III, whom Maduro nicknamed "El Abuelo" (the grandfather). The two recently parted ways."
Another admission that, ultimately, it was Sargeant the one pulling the strings with Maduro to get Betancourt back in play.
Axios' "secret history of Trump's Venezuelan oil baron" is filled with information that this site had previously published. Considering its condition and links to unnameable U.S. goverment sources, we should thank Marc Caputo (glad you keep reading Marc 😉!) and Axios for confirming.
UPDATE: The Trump administration, and its propaganists, are having a difficult time dealing with the blowback of picking Betancourt. Marco Rubio lied during an interview with Venezuelan journalist Sergio Novelli, saying "No existe en EE.UU. ninguna investigación en su contra", that is there are no investigations against Betancourt in the U.S. Rubio added that the Trump administration had checked with all American authorities, presumably federal agencies, and no investigations into Betancourt was reportedly found. But in mid January this year HSI and El Dorado Task Forces were actively seeking information about money laundering schemes centered on PDVSA (a Betancourt specialty) and what the White House calls "corrupt cronies of Maduro and Chavez". Specifics questions about Francisco Convit (Betancourt's long time partner) were made. Both Betancourt and Convit were discussed. This wasn't the first time HSI was requesting information. In August 2020 HSI contacted this site to ask specifics about Betancourt's involvement in a $4.85 billion money laundering scheme set up at PDVSA. Swiss prosecutors and police were part of the criminal probe. The Washington Post recently published about how different U.S. Attorney Generals and DoJ officials actively and repeatedly intervened with UK and Swiss authorities -on also active criminal investigations at DoJ- to get Betancourt off the hook. Rubio is lying.
His propagandist seems to be having second thoughts about the leverage that Betancourt allegedly exerted on Guaido's inner camp. Spot the difference below. Caputo's "revelations" about Betancourt / Guaido come more than six years after we published them...
