From coup leaders to con artists: Juan Guaidó’s gang exposed for massive humanitarian aid fraud — Dan Cohen

A new investigation has exposed members of Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaidó’s inner circle for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars designated for humanitarian aid and spending it on luxury goods and lavish accommodations for themselves. Guaidó had been aware of the fraud for weeks and stubbornly defended his cohorts until a leak from Colombian intelligence forced him to acknowledge the scandal....

The Gray Zone
From coup leaders to con artists: Juan Guaidó’s gang exposed for massive humanitarian aid fraud
Dan Cohen

Also from GZ

Vecchio’s career did not start in the rough and tumble of Venezuela’s political scene, but instead with a promising career in the oil industry. Indeed, Vecchio entered the political arena in 2007 only after Hugo Chavez successfully drove out ExxonMobil, his employer at the time. For years, Vecchio had been leading Exxon’s legal fight against the Chavez government.

This revealing detail has been curiously omitted in his interviews with sympathetic US outlets and was mentioned only briefly in his autobiography. Yet it is critical to understanding Vecchio’s emerging role, especially as Guaido flounders back home....

From Exxon to “ambassador”: How Carlos Vecchio became Venezuela’s top coup lobbyist

Anya Parampil and Diego Sequera