The Association of Producers of Venezuela (Asoprove XXI) made public a complaint of a 170 thousand dollar scam of which they were victims by the lawyer Kilian Zambrano, in his capacity as legal representative of the association, and Jesús Soteldo, who presents himself as a direct relative of the current Chavista Minister of Productive Agriculture and Land, Wilmar Castro Soteldo.
By La Patilla
Nov 17, 2022
As was stated by Omar Atrache and Luis Tellería, President and Executive Director of “Asoprove XXI” respectively, they “raised the possibility of legally seeking protection against an administrative decision that culminated a commercial alliance between the Government of Monagas State and our represented in the management and operation of the “José Tadeo Monagas” Corn Processing Plants in Punta de Mata and El Tejero.”
Also, Zambrano and Soteldo, presumably, offered to negotiate some supplies to meet an alleged Planting Plan for corn and rice in Monagas and Guárico States, which was never fulfilled as planned.
Those affected added that, trusting in the good faith and disposition of those already mentioned, they proceeded to deliver the amount of 170 thousand dollars, which are divided as follows: 60 thousand in cash, a tractor valued at more than 70 thousand dollars and the willingness to sell two rice truck loads at an approximate cost of 40 thousand dollars.
Said delivery, they explained, was going to be used for the acquisition and subsequent delivery of agricultural supplies and part of a logistics in legal proceedings. After this, they add, “these gentlemen never showed their faces to us. They never gave an answer for the administrative procedures, much less for the supplies that we required to meet the Planting Plan committed to the farmers in the plains states (Monagas and Guárico).”
They assert that this vile robbery caused serious damage that was reflected in the productive fields in the last quarter of 2021 and throughout 2022. “This was a severe blow to the efforts of the national government and small producers who with great effort organized ourselves in associations to be able to advance positively in the leverage of the primary productive apparatus of the economy,” affirmed those affected.
“These gentlemen were denounced before the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic in the General Directorate of Common Crimes, and also the courts of justice in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas and in the state of Barinas, where the Fifth Control Court in Functions opened simultaneously with the Second Prosecutor’s Office of said state the corresponding investigation where these gentlemen were summoned and amazingly, it seems, they have more power than justice.
They detailed that Zambrano is on the payroll of the Barinas and Cojedes National Guard Command, where he acts as a legal advisor. “They use credentials to -chapear- (badge through/force) and do their misdeeds together with his partner, Jesús Soteldo,” they said.
Faced with this scenario, they alert producers in the states of Monagas, Barinas, Guárico, Portuguesa and Cojedes to be aware of the identities of these “scammers”, to avoid falling into their clutches. “We are aware that they are visiting the fields offering the same agricultural supplies that were never delivered to us.”
Likewise, they request the prosecutor of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, Tarek William Saab, to order an exhaustive investigation of the modus operandi of these citizens who enjoy full freedom of action taking advantage of their influence in the justice system.
“They must pay with a prison sentence for the damages caused by the crimes of continued fraud, qualified misappropriation and criminal association, provided for and sanctioned in article 37 of the Organic Law Against Organized Crime and Financing of Terrorism committed against “Asoprove XXI”, its directors and associate members.
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