Venezuelan Opposition Demands Accountability from Delcy Rodríguez over Andorra Money Laundering Cover-Up

Venezuelan opposition figures are demanding accountability from Delcy Rodríguez, the country's new interim leader, over her alleged role in covering up a major money laundering scandal involving millions of dollars channeled through Andorra's Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA).

The case, which resurfaced amid broader accusations of financial and diplomatic misconduct tarnishing Rodríguez's leadership during Venezuela's transition, centers on Rafael Lacava, governor of Carabobo state and a prominent member of Nicolás Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Critics claim Rodríguez, part of Maduro's inner circle alongside Lacava and Diosdado Cabello, failed to act despite public exposure of the scheme.

Documents from BPA's internal files, revealed after the US designated the bank a primary money laundering threat in 2015, show Lacava managed an account there in May 2009 while serving as mayor of Puerto Cabello, home to Venezuela's main port. The funds—linked to multimillion-dollar fees for "intermediation services" on a never-built oil refinery project, as well as bond swaps through a brokerage—were allegedly disguised via a complex corporate structure.

Lacava's Andorra account was tied to Iberoamerica Assets Corporation, with a nominee shielding the ultimate beneficial owner. BPA's Caracas office, located in the Ciudad Tamanaco shopping center and staffed by recruiters Antonio Salvador Lozano and Mariela Prieto González, facilitated transfers from Venezuela to Switzerland, where Lacava held stakes in a SICAV investment vehicle by that time.

A BPA memo noted initial resistance from the Iberoamerica representative to disclose the real account holder, claiming Salvador already knew the identity. The economist, 57, had prior roles including mayor of Puerto La Cruz in Carabobo, National Assembly deputy (2006-2007), and ambassador to Italy (2007-2008), all under Hugo Chávez's administration.

Despite publication of the evidence, Venezuelan authorities took no action. Neither the regime's prosecutor's office nor courts investigated, even after a National Assembly deputy raised the issue. The Comptroller General and parliament also declined to probe or question Lacava, who never commented publicly.

Former prosecutor Zair Mundaray described the plunder as "monumental," accusing the chavismo regime of unquantifiable theft. The renewed scrutiny now implicates Rodríguez directly for purportedly blocking probes into the BPA-backed revelations. Neither Lacava nor Rodríguez has responded to the latest demands for explanations.