Headline:
Un año después: La tortuosa historia del estadounidense liberado en el canje por Alex Saab
Article:
El 20 de diciembre de 2023, el mundo se sorprendió con el anuncio de la liberación de Álex Saab, señalado como testaferro de Nicolás Maduro, en un canje por diez estadounidenses presos en Venezuela. Entre ellos, el caso de Édgar José Marval Moreno, un ciudadano venezolano y estadounidense whose arrival in a wheelchair and in poor health conditions raised alarm.
Now, a year later, the story of Marval’s ordeal has been revealed by Armando Info, a renowned media outlet that has exposed the atrocities and corruption of the Venezuelan government. According to their report, Marval was key in a complex network connected to the illicit gold market in Venezuela.
One of the companies linked to Marval is Moonlight Investments INC, whose principal activity was the direct sale of precious metals. However, its current whereabouts are unknown. Marval, who holds dual Venezuelan and American citizenship, was arrested on August 19, 2023, at José Antonio Anzoátegui airport in Barcelona, Venezuela. He was allegedly detained due to a "silent alert."
After his arrest, Marval was handed over to the Dirección de Asuntos Especiales of the Dirección General de Contraespionaje Militar (DGCIM), where he was allegedly subjected to severe torture. Marval suffered a broken spine, was forced to wear a diaper, and received electric shocks in multiple parts of his body. Despite his deteriorating health, Marval was discharged and transferred to the DGCIM headquarters in Caracas, where the torture continued.
The Venezuelan government and its authorities have not commented on Marval’s case. The only traces of his activities are his stints in companies like Moonlight Investments INC and USA D&D International INC, according to Armando Info.
Marval’s story is connected to other prominent figures in Venezuela’s illicit gold market, such as Marco Flores, known as one of "Los señores del oro." According to Brazilian authorities, Flores is one of the leaders of gold smuggling between Venezuela and Brazil.
In an interview with Armando Info, Marval, who is now a protected witness for the FBI, stated that he witnessed a mechanism beginning with gold traffickers bringing bags of bolívares to the Guayana mines. The mineral was then smuggled out, with large dollar transfers from overseas accounts.
Marval denied having any business partnerships with Flores, asserting that Flores never had a stake in any of his companies. Despite this, Marval admitted that his name appeared in the Florida business registry as an administrative officer at Flores’ request, as it was required by his European partners to complete a transaction.
Marval’s testimony sheds light on the complex dynamics of Venezuela’s illicit gold market and the human cost of the Maduro regime’s involvement in it. His case highlights the urgent need for international action to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Venezuela.
After his liberation, Marval’s case was brought to the attention of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the International Criminal Court. His lawyer, Tamara Suju, revealed the horrifying details of Marval’s torture, stating that he was asphyxiated with pillows, received electric shocks, and was filmed while screaming in pain.
The motive behind Marval’s torture remains unclear, but he believes that his American nationality and the regime’s long-standing grievances, including the alleged theft of three vehicles used by Venezuelan security forces, played a significant role.
Marval’s story serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of corruption and impunity on the lives of innocent people in Venezuela. As the international community continues to monitor the situation, it is crucial to push for accountability and justice for the countless victims of the Maduro regime’s ongoing human rights abuses.
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