Argentina Approves Extradition of PDVSA Exec to Andorra for Money Laundering

Argentina's Supreme Court has approved the extradition to Andorra of Luis Abraham Bastidas Ramírez, a former senior executive at Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, who faces charges of money laundering through accounts at Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA).

The court issued its ruling on Wednesday, clearing the way for Bastidas Ramírez to be handed over to Andorran authorities. He stands accused of laundering $5 million during his time at PDVSA, as part of a broader probe into Venezuelan officials from the Chavista regime allegedly using BPA to clean proceeds of corruption.

Bastidas Ramírez was arrested in Córdoba, Argentina, in 2018 by the Federal Police. Investigations revealed he had arrived in the country three years earlier and was running a newsstand, while his wife operated a hair salon. A local federal court initially rejected Andorra's extradition request, but in 2021 ruled it admissible for the ongoing major offence of money laundering linked to corruption. Prosecutors upheld that decision after an appeal.

The Supreme Court confirmed the extradition following an earlier denial in 2020 due to procedural flaws in the initial request. Andorran officials specified that the underlying crime involved PDVSA executives receiving bribes for awarding contracts to select firms at inflated prices, according to Argentine media reports.

The case stems from discoveries that implicated BPA in handling millions in illicit funds from Venezuela. Further details are awaited as the process advances.