Hugo Chavez's former nurse will face money laundering charges in the U.S. — but is free in Madrid for now. She is accused of siphoning millions from Venezuela and hiding it in a Liechtenstein gold vault.
Claudia Díaz, a former nurse to Venezuelan ex-president Hugo Chávez, was freed overnight in Madrid but is barred from leaving Spain and relinquished her passport, «Europa Press» reported, citing judicial sources. U.S. prosecutors charged Díaz and her husband, Adrián Velásquez Figueroa, a former presidential security guard, with bribery last week.
The duo is accused of siphoning millions from Venezuela, which represents a sliver of the billions that more than a dozen ex-government officials, businesspeople and other associates are accused of pillaging from the severely crisis-stricken and politically embattled South American nation. Julius Baer as well as Credit Suisse have been caught up in Venezuelan graft and money laundering investigations surrounding PDVSA, the state-backed oil firm.
Colorful Character
Díaz, who went from nurse to Chavez to national treasurer between 2011 and 2013, and Velásquez, face extradition to the U.S. to face the charges. Díaz is one of the most colorful characters to emerge in the saga for allegedly moving $300 million worth of assets including gold to Liechtenstein.
She opened a shell firm in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to buy 250 gold bars worth nearly $10 million, according to Liechtenstein court files seen by the «Associated Press». The precious metal then headed for a private vault in an industrial area of the principality, according to daily«Liechtensteiner Vaterland» (in German).
Parked in Switzerland
Several years later, Díaz allegedly sold the gold, parking the proceeds in a Swiss bank account. She has denied holding any gold, or a Liechtenstein bank account. The details spilled out thanks to legal assistance between Switzerland, which isn't investigating Díaz, and the neighboring principality, the «AP» reported.
Spain has refused to turn her and Velásquez over to Venezuela, citing human rights concerns. Since 2015, early 4.5 million Venezuelans – more than 10 percent of its population – have left the crisis-stricken nation, now led by Nicolas Maduro after Chavez died in 2013.
