
Oil tycoon Wilmer Ruperti showed up for a meeting with Venezuela’s intelligence agency last Thursday. A week later, he’s still in custody, one of his lawyers told Semafor.
“We’ve reached out to everybody trying to get proof of life or some support,” Winston & Strawn’s Cari Stinebower said, adding that officials still haven’t conveyed “how he’s being treated or why he’s being detained.”
Ruperti, who arrived at the meeting with a security detail, is a Venezuelan Italian shipping magnate who trades in petroleum coke. His detainment followed interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision to elevate the agency’s longtime chief to defense minister.
“The message is that Venezuela is open for business — but detaining businessmen for days on end without any due process or access to counsel is more old regime,” Stinebower said. “This is not law and order and not conducive of a welcoming business environment.”
The State Department and Energy Department did not respond to requests for comment.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
This ‘CSI: Miami’ star spent years solving crimes on TV. Then she became the target of one herself. - 2
As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers - 3
Manual for 6 Hot Brilliant Beds - 4
Day to day Temporary Positions That Compensate Fairly in the US - 5
12 Once-In-A-Lifetime Travel Experiences To Add to Your Bucket List
Space debris: will it take a catastrophe for nations to take the issue seriously?
6 Fun Urban areas For Seniors To Travel
3 moms, 3 countries, 1 very familiar problem: Why child care costs still don't add up for families
The Job of Attorneys: It is Important to Comprehend When Legitimate Help
Surprise! Saturn's huge moon Titan may not have a buried ocean after all
Flu activity rises sharply across US with 7.5 million cases, CDC data shows
Hezbollah rockets hit 165 UNIFIL positions in Lebanon while targeting Israel, IDF reveals
Florence's Uffizi Gallery moves treasures to safety after cyberattack
Vote in favor of Your Number one Smartwatch: Exactness and Style Matter













