Bolivians Claim 2nd Venezuelan Agent Had $800,000 in Briefcase

by mpress | December 22, 2007 at 07:45 am | 427 views | add comment

Federal Prosecutors: Chavez Bought Argentina Elections

Chavez continues his quest to spread the Venezuelans peoples
money. But something went wrong on the way to the airport. The locals
hate Chavez so much they forced a C-130 Venezuelan military aircraft
(they suspected of carrying weapons for Evo Morales) to hastily take
off while throwing stones at the aircraft. The C-130 left so fast that
they left behind a Venezuelan agent with a briefcase full of payoff
money just like in Argentina. Chavez may be “The Man” in Venezuela but
he doesn’t seem to be winning the hearts and mind of the average Latin
American. We wonder why.

Another scandal has erupted over Venezuelans allegedly carrying large amounts of money around Latin America — this time a man identified as an armed forces intelligence captain found with some $800,000 in Bolivia.

A Bolivian police commander said the man was carrying a contract worth $870,000, not cash. But opposition Sen. Walter Guiteras and a community activist said he had $827,000 in cash.

Luís Michel Klein Ferrer was found Dec. 6 in the Bolivian provincial town of Riberalta after a Venezuelan air force C-130 cargo plane took off without him when residents opposed to Venezuela’s influence in Bolivia began throwing rocks at the aircraft.

Klein’s case does not appear related to the case of Guido Antonini Wilson, caught with nearly $800,000 in undeclared cash when he landed at an Argentine airport in August. Four men are under arrest in Miami, accused of acting as Venezuelan government agents in pressing Antonini to cover up that the money was for Argentina’s presidential campaign.

Venezuela’s leftist President Hugo Chávez is a strong supporter of his Bolivian counterpart, Evo Morales, and his embassy representatives regularly deliver checks to municipal government officials around Bolivia.

rev.jpgKlein’s case apparently began when the C-130 carrying him landed in Riberalta for a reported refueling stop. Rumors spread that the plane was carrying weapons for Morales supporters. Area residents — most of whom oppose the president — began stoning the aircraft.

The aircraft took off in a hurry, according to witnesses and Bolivian newspaper accounts, and left behind Klein, who was wearing a military uniform and had a military style haircut.

Riberalta community activist Mario Aguilera said Klein then boarded a van headed for Guayadamerín, a town on the border with Brazil. But he was intercepted by protesters who noticed his uniform and followed him from the airport.

”The people wanted to lynch the Venezuelan when he was trying to escape in a van, but we took him to the police and we handed him over,” Aguilera told El Nuevo Herald in a telephone interview.

”We cannot permit that this government is at the service of Don Hugo Chávez, and give them the green light to come in and disrespect our national dignity,” he added

Source: Miami Herald