I will never cease to be amazed by how far chavismo has reached in hiding its ill acquired riches. The Andorra principality has decided to adapt to the European, and International norms and has suspended partially its banking secrecy. Among the first thugs discovered we find a few people "close" to Chavez. Entourage? Family? Who cares!? what business do they have in Andorra, a tiny country that they probably ignored of its existence ten years ago.
I happen to know some people hiding money here and there. Usually they chose Switzerland, or if non US and not too rich, the US of A. Yours truly has retained his tiny account in the US from his days of college teaching credit union. He even opened another small account in France. But in ten years he never made enough money to even look into a fiscal haven, and even less Andorra. Mind you, I know where Andorra is. When I was in college, oh, so many years ago, I used to hang out in the Pyrenees, skiing or hiking and even once shopping at Andorra for the free tax stuff. As a poor student my purchases were very limited, a little bit of turron and a couple of bottles of port wine or something like it. Nothing else was in my budget, even tax free, not even food as we brought our own sandwiches. We only spent on drinks and a ride on the tallest cable car of the time.
Andorra is pretty but yet not as accessible to Venezuelans as, say, any of the Alpine resorts. For a Chavez "relative/friend/accomplice" going to Andorra is really a deliberate endeavor, not an accident, even through an "agent". And even less if apparently that many of them went there and managed funds of such nature as force Andorra to release names. How did these people manage to make enough money in ten years to have a substantial account in Andorra?
I cannot wait to read the spin... Right now anyone that tells me that corruption is unproven in chavista Venezuela will receive an instant electronic slap to wake up to reality. Really...
If you manage French and Spanish you may want to read the original Catalan from the Andorra paper, it is quite delightful choice of words.
By the way, I wonder if Chavez last minute stop in Madrid is related to this event, or if he decided he needed to meet his Andorran banking officer. I am sure he can afford to have the guy fly in from Andorra.
-The end-
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