Hugo el “Pollo” Carvajal was the head of the Venezuelan regime’s military counterintelligence when the late Hugo Chávez was in charge and then when Nicolás Maduro took power. Carvajal is a very important target for US authorities as they link him to the so-called “Cartel de los Soles”, a criminal organization and drug trafficker accused of importing tons of cocaine between 1999 and 2019.
Carvajal was one of the most trusted men in the Hugo Chávez regime. | Photo: Getty Images
He was one of the key figures in the Chavista regime for many years, until in 2019 he did a U-turn and joined the opposition to President Nicolás Maduro, allowing him to have sensitive information about the actions of the Venezuelan President, who is also accused of doing so to be involved in the “Cartel de los Soles”.
Why are you associated with President Gustavo Petro?
Carvajal claims, thanks to his closeness to Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, that he has insightful data on the alleged financing of election campaigns by left-wing parties in Latin America; Having switched sides and now opposing the Maduro regime, secrets could be coming to light about alleged ties between Venezuelan leaders and politicians from the rest of the continent, including current Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
“I have received a large number of reports indicating that this international funding is taking place. Concrete examples are: Néstor Kirchner in Argentina; Evo Morales in Bolivia; Lula Da Silva in Brazil; Fernando Lugo in Paraguay; Ollanta Humala in Peru; Zelaya in Honduras; Gustavo Petro in Colombia; Five Star Movement in Italy and Podemos in Spain. “All of these individuals have been listed as recipients of funds sent by the Venezuelan government,” Carvajal said in a statement.
Hugo Carvajal and Gustavo Petro | Photo: private archive
This testimony, in The one that mentions Petro was referring to the 2018 presidential campaign in which former President Iván Duque was the winner. Carvajal’s statements were published by Spanish media in 2021, prompting Petro to file a lawsuit in Colombia’s Supreme Court to dismiss versions of the former Venezuelan regime confidant in which he advised the leader of Human Colombia (then Petro’s movement) that he had received money from the Venezuelan government to fund his desire for the House of Representatives Narino.
“You never tire of trying again and again. Those who expect my campaigns to be funded by foreign governments at some point in my political life will wait. I don’t know Saab or General Hugo Carvajal. I am preparing a legal intervention to take action against general and suspected drug dealer Hugo Carvajal, whether in Spain or in the United States.” Petro said at the time.
Hugo Carvajal was arrested in Spain and is being extradited to the United States. | Photo: AFP
“The foregoing is based on the fact that as a citizen I have the right to truth and justice and that false statements endanger my good name and honor,” the current president of Colombia said in the letter he sent to the Supreme Court that against him is determined according to Carvajal’s statements.
This scheme would have been repeated over and over with various governments and left-wing candidates in Spain and Latin America when Venezuela was a vibrant nation sustaining a prosperous situation through oil production.
“The best thing is that he pleads guilty”
In an interview with Semana in April 2022, Carvajal’s attorney spoke about the possibilities for him to release the information he claims to have on Petro and other politicians on the continent.
According to lawyer María Dolores de Argüelles, the former Venezuelan soldier has always been willing to cooperate with the US judiciary; However, he has reiterated that he must be offered a fair trial where he will not be found guilty without due process.
“The recommendation is that he plead guilty and can seek benefits from there, and he says he left his country for the same reason, With honor he cannot be found guilty, which he has not done, and if he is innocent he will not admit his guilt,” Argüelles said.
Additionally, Regarding the information about Gustavo Petro, the lawyer pointed out that Carvajal had stated that he was ready to provide ithowever, has warned that it will not do so for the time being as it could affect its situation with the United States.
At the time of the interview, Argüelles stated that his client’s cooperation with the Colombian judiciary was expressly dependent on a request from the United States. “He literally said: If the United States tells me to cooperate with Colombia, I will cooperate,” the lawyer said.