More Implicated in Cuba Corruption Cases
HAVANA TIMES — Through the Gaceta Oficial legal news periodical, Cuban police have cited the names of three islanders accused of corruption in falsifying banking and commercial documents.
These individuals are Mario Betancourt Caraballoso, Elianet Haya Moran and Ariel Valdes Garcia.
Betancourt is wanted by Interpol after having left the country, with some of his relatives indicating that he now lives in Canada.
His wife, America, was placed under house arrest about two months ago, according to some of her neighbors.
These same sources confirmed that the couple worked in a Cuban bank, and may be linked to a rumored scam of over $5 million USD, which was presumably discovered at the Banco Internacional de Comercio, SA (BICSA).
The nation’s fight against corruption, headed by the Comptroller General of the Republic, Gladys Bejerano, has led to the imprisonment of many Cuban government and foreign businesspeople. However the information about these cases — when they publish it — is sketchy at best.
One of the problems of ensuring transparency in this case could be due to the involvement of some relatives of well-known Cuban personalities.
A “limited edition” of videos of the questioning of some individuals implicated in corrupt activities is circulating among Communist Party members.
In any case, it is hoped that details will be more forthcoming since President Raul Castro gave his word to ensure that “after the court rulings, all of our people will learn in depth about the facts.”
It is the little things like this that constantly remind me that no matter how heralded the recent changes in Cuba purport to be, as a member of the 21st century they still have a long way to go. I am not sure the celebrated “perp walk” that we Americans so love is the best way to go either, but for goodness sakes, more public disclosure with more details and sooner will not threaten the Revolution any more than any of the many other failings.
“One of the problems of ensuring transparency in this case could be due to the involvement of some relatives of well-known Cuban personalities.”
Does the author have any reason to say that, or is this pure speculation based on the author’s imagination of possible scenarios? Or worse, is he just starting/spreading a sexy rumor?
He gives no indication that this statement is more than a baseless accusation. If there is a basis for it, I hope he will let us readers in on it.