Vladimiro Montesinos

Latin America Round-Up: November 25, 2009

November 25, 2009

BRAZIL Favelas Drugs, guns and gangsIn São João, a favela on the north side of Rio, drug gang look outs perch on rooftops and at other strategic spots overlooking the entry points to the slum, just a few meters from

Latin America Round-Up: October 27, 2009

October 27, 2009

COLOMBIA Pyramid sage will be extraditedColombia's Supreme Court authorized the extradition of David Murcia Guzmán - convicted in Colombia of swindling millions of dollars from thousands of people and money laundering - to the US, where he was indicted for

Latin America Round-Up: August 24, 2009

August 24, 2009

HONDURAS Past of violence and corruption, Present too If the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti remains in power in Honduras after ousting Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, the Central American right may be encouraged to stage further coups against the

Latin America Round-Up: April 7, 2009

April 7, 2009

ARGENTINA Fears of more laundering rise An Argentine plan to increase tax revenue and invigorate the economy by attracting offshore assets, with a no questions asked policy, is generating criticism from experts who say it could encourage money laundering instead.

Latin America Round-Up: August 4, 2008

August 4, 2008

BRAZIL & INTERNATIONAL: Brazil Chairs the FATF; HONDURAS: Silence on Public Financial Informationto local observers; MEXICO: Western Union in Trouble; New Anti-Laundering Tariff; and PERU: Governing APRA Under Pressure; Montesinos Admits Crimes; Protests in Lima.

Latin America Round-Up: October 11, 2007

October 11, 2007

COLOMBIANarco arrested Diego León Montoya Sánchez, one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, has been arrested by Colombian authorities near Zarzal in the Colombian state of Valle del Cauca. Montoya has been on the FBI's “Ten Most Wanted” list

Latin American Round-Up: May 14, 2007

May 14, 2007

BOLIVIA & VENEZUELA Bolivia and Venezuela shrug their shoulders Bolivia and Venezuela have shrugged off a U. S. State Department's annual report on global drug trafficking that criticizes them. In the report, Venezuela is singled out as an increasing menace.

Latin America Round-Up: February 7, 2007

February 7, 2007

CHILE: Informal Exchange Market Should Be Regulated; NICARAGUA: Ends Row over Frozen Money; PERU: Plot Thickens for Fujimori; REGIONAL: Coca Flourishes; Soccer under the microscope; and URUGUAY: More Anti-laundering Controls.

Latin America Round-Up: October 5, 2006

October 5, 2006

BRAZIL Complicated campaignIt looked like an easy first round victory for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva until Brazil's election campaign was shaken by a convoluted corruption scandal. The president's party, the Workers Party (known as PT), has been accused

Latin America Round-Up: May 5, 2006

May 5, 2006

ARGENTINA & OTHERS Efforts to regulate remittances markets…The Argentinean Central Bank is examining a plan to toughen the regulation of the remittances market in order to prevent money laundering. Remittances to Argentina rose almost eightfold, from $100 billion in 2001

Latin America Round-Up: December 5, 2005

December 5, 2005

CHILE: Pinochet Investigation Goes to Panama; GUATEMALA: Guatemalan Customs Heir Arrested; and PERU: “Fuji” Arrested in Chile.

Latin America Round Up: October 4, 2005

October 4, 2005

INTERNATIONAL New study on money laundering The South America Financial Action Task Force (GAFISUD) released a report in September in which it listed the different money laundering techniques that have been identified by several South American government agencies. The report

Latin America Round-Up: January 31, 2005

January 31, 2005

ARGENTINA: Purge in Prison; CHILE: Pinochet Investigation Becomes Global; COLOMBIA: "Let Politicians Tremble"; and PERU: Lost Millions Recovered.

Latin America Round-Up: September 30, 2004

September 30, 2004

CHILETracing the General's secret money The Chilean authorities assigned a special Judge, Sergio Muñoz, to investigate the alleged illegal money linked to former dictator Augusto Pinochet. Judge Muñoz has taken control of $6 million that was held in trusteeship in

Peru seeks evidence from Northern Trust and Barclays Bank for corruption investigation

September 30, 2004

The investigation into corruption involving Vladimiro Montesinos while he served as National Intelligence Service Advisor to former Peru President Alberto Fujimori has turned to the United States. The Peruvian authorities have asked a United States court to freeze US$8.75 million

Latin America Round-Up: May 31, 2004

May 31, 2004

ARGENTINA Menem in exileFor the second time, an Argentinean judge issued an international arrest warrant for the former President, Carlos Menem, on allegations of tax fraud.Apart from other crimes, Menem is accused of embezzling tens of millions of dollars during

Latin America Round-Up: February 29, 2004

February 29, 2004

ARGENTINA: The Swiss connection; New charges for banker; BRAZIL: Lula faces first scandal; EL SALVADOR: Sentences in El Carmen case; GUATEMALA: Portillo on the run; MEXICO: Court rules U.S. operation unconstitutional; PARAGUAY: Looking for minister Ferreira; The Peirano brothers: scapegoats?; and PERU: Toledo in trouble.

Latin America Round-Up: January 31, 2004

January 31, 2004

ARGENTINA: Vote-buying scandal; COLOMBIA: Colombian drug lord extradited; DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Dominican Republic in bad shape; PERU: Swiss banks in Montesinos' web; and REGIONAL: South American companies accused of laundering; US brings up corruption in Monterrey; Parmalat's spilt milk in Latin America.

Latin America Round-Up: October 31, 2003

October 31, 2003

COSTA RICAMoney laundering on the rise A report by the Drug Enforcement Administration identifies an increase in Costa Rica's vulnerability to money laundering. According to the report, the real estate sector has become one of the favorite ways of laundering

Latin America Round-Up: July 31, 2003

July 31, 2003

ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY and URUGUAY: Banco General de Negocios, Multibanco, Banco Comercial sagas continue; NICARAGUA and PANAMA: Following Marc Harris' steps in Nicaragua; PANAMA and COLOMBIA: Colombian scandal affects Panama; and PERU: Kroll unable to find Fujimori's money so far.

Marc Harris denied bail, pleads not guilty

June 13, 2003

Offshore businessman Marc M. Harris, watched by his mother and represented by a public defender, was denied bail today in Miami, where he pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of money laundering."It's clear to me that the government has established by a preponderance of the evidence that he is a risk of flight," said Magistrate Judge William Turnoff.

Latin America Round-Up: May 31, 2003

May 31, 2003

ARGENTINA Bad start for new president Néstor Kirchner, an obscure provincial governor, became Argentina's president elect by default when former President Carlos Menem withdrew alleging that there was "a systematic slander campaign" against him. Menem is on trial for several

Latin America Round-Up: February 28, 2003

February 28, 2003

ARGENTINA: Still, debate about Menem's feasibility as candidate; BOLIVIA: Big trouble in La Paz; COLOMBIA: Operation against Cali cartel's leader; GUATEMALA: Acquisition to save Banoro; Blacklisted again; NICARAGUA: Centeno Roque brothers sentenced; PARAGUAY: President González Macchi under investigation; and PERU: Montesinos' silence.

Latin America Round Up: September 30, 2002

September 30, 2002

ARGENTINAMenem off the hook, for the moment Judge Julio Speroni concluded there is not enough evidence to indict former President Carlos Menem in the case of the illegal arms sale to Croatia and Ecuador. Judge Speroni added, though, that Menem

Latin America Round-Up: August 31, 2001

August 31, 2001

ARGENTINA: A report in Argentina points at money laundering; BOLIVIA: New interim President in Bolivia; CHILE: Trouble in the skies; PERU: More repercussions in Fujimori-Montesinos case; and PANAMA: Going bananas in Panama.

Latin America Round-Up: July 31, 2001

July 31, 2001

COLOMBIA: Secondary mortgage firm; COSTA RICA: Brotherly love; MEXICO: "Towelgate"; PANAMA: Ocean Disgrace I; PERU: Montesinos saga continues; and REGIONAL: Black market peso brokers; US bank downsizes in Latin America.

Latin America Round Up: May 31, 2001

May 31, 2001

Panama is on a new "black list" Getting genuine and trustworthy information vital if one wants to make smart investing decisions is going to be harder from now on in Panama. Eight journalists have been convicted of criminal libel in

Latin America Round Up: April 30, 2001

April 30, 2001

Argentina Finally, Argentinean Central Bank boss Pedro Pou was replaced on Wednesday, April 25th, by Roque Maccarrone, former President at Banco de la Nación and Banco Río. The move followed a parliamentarian investigation that found irregularities in the way Pou