
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
Scientists solve the mystery of the prehistoric 'Burtele Foot' - 2
6 Famous kind of practice on the planet - 3
Involved Vehicles for Seniors: Track down the Best Picks for Solace and Unwavering quality - 4
Scientists document a death from a meat allergy tied to certain ticks - 5
Police break up illegal chicken slaughter in Germany
Smartwatches: Remain Associated and Dynamic
Ryan Gosling responds to Deidre Hall's invitation to visit the 'Days of Our Lives' set: 'This is a very enthusiastic yes'
How did life begin on Earth? New experiments support 'RNA world' hypothesis
Little Italy Mercato brings fresh food and community to downtown San Diego
A definitive Manual for Well known Fragrances
An ex-FBI agent analyzes what we learned from Savannah Guthrie's 'Today' show interview amid the search for her mother Nancy
'Stranger Things' series finale trailer shows Hawkins gang gearing up for last battle with Vecna
Scientists train to dive beneath polar ice as climate change warms the Arctic and Antarctica
The Excursion to Monetary Proficiency: Individual budget Triumphs













