New Evidence of Links Between Far-Right Opposition and Organized Crime – Orinoco Tribune – News and Opinions on Venezuela and Beyond

Posted on by Vaseline

By Misión Verdad – August 21, 2024

New elements of depth have emerged around the already proven link between criminal gangs and Edmundo González & María Corina Machado, allowing us to assess its true magnitude as the backbone of the regime change agenda activated against Venezuela after July 28.

Venezuelan journalist Eligio Rojas recently presented in his program broadcast on Monday, August 19, on La Iguana TV new data and evidence that detailed the comprehensive approach to the exchanges and interactions between the criminal factor and the “political” factor – led by the extremist opposition – of this agenda, within the context of the presidential elections held at the end of last month.

In addition to other organized crime groups such as The Llano Routewhich has already been investigated in a previous study, The Pepon According to information from Rojas, a journalist with extensive experience in crime and security issues, it was noted that the gang was active during the events of July 28 itself.

While the The Llano Route appeared during the days of the greatest conflict through open fire and intimidation, the The Pepon gang, which operates mainly in Zaraza, in the state of Guárico, acted with greater discretion during the presidential campaign and attempted to manipulate the election results. This sheds light on the distribution of roles attributed by political actors of the far-right opposition in Venezuela to organizations with criminal objectives.

According to the intelligence reports that Rojas consulted, this organization had a specific mission: to buy votes in favor of the candidacy of Edmundo González Urrutia in areas with a strong territorial and political presence of Chavismo.

The gang’s leadership structure consisted of three people, including Yohanny Machuca, alias “The Peponwho served as leader and gave the organization its name.

Machuca was neutralized on August 6 during Operation Zaraza 2024. The whereabouts of eleven other identified members are unknown.

Initially, as is usual at a rural crime scene, The Pepon was created to provide ‘protection’ to large local producers and businessmen.

The gang operated with a contingent of about 25 men and was equipped with weapons and communication technology. The gang soon moved on to other criminal activities, such as collecting dollar “fees” from small and medium-sized farmers, as well as small entrepreneurs in urban areas.

The Llano Routea criminal organization based in Altagracia de Orituco, municipality of José Tadeo Monagas, in the state of Guárico, used digital platforms to disseminate videos in which its members, including the central figure, Oscar de Jesús Noguera Hernán, alias “The Diethas committed violent acts in the context of political unrest, following the disdain of María Corina Machado in her statements of electoral fraud.

This multimedia content featured masked and armed individuals who presented themselves as “defenders of the people” and threatened the Venezuelan government. In his statements, “The Diet“proclaimed the existence of an “established base” and confirmed its control over the area, as well as its ability to mobilize violent groups.

His public appearance coincided with an increase in violence in the country over the two days following the election. Armed clashes were reported in the municipality between July 29 and 30, including sieges of schools, burning of vehicles and attacks on police facilities.

There is a direct relationship between The Pepon and the The Llano Routeas the latter has formed strategic alliances with other smaller criminal organizations. These small cells are affiliated with the The Llano Route and function as franchises that extend their influence and territorial control.

Operation Zaraza 2024
Operation Zaraza 2024 is being carried out by the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEOFANB). Currently, approximately 6,000 personnel are participating, both from the police and the army.

This effort is intended as a strategic response to organized crime groups operating in the state of Guárico, particularly for their involvement in the violence following the July 28 elections.

Since its launch on August 6, the operation has covered six of the fifteen municipalities in the state of Guárico, focusing on:

  • Pedro Zaraza, the municipality of origin of the The Pepon gang, which also included three neighboring municipalities
  • José Tadeo Monagas, which serves as a base for the The Llano Route
  • Camaguán, which borders Apure, a state where operations against paramilitaries have already been carried out

On August 14, 2024, it was reported that eight people had been neutralized, including, as mentioned, the leader of the gang The PeponSo far, 30 arrests have been made and an arsenal has been seized consisting of 13 firearms (four of which are rifles), 302 rounds of ammunition, a grenade, two telescopic sights, eight radio transmitters, ten flashlights, seven chargers, 35 Molotov cocktails, 12 mobile phones and six motorcycles.

Venezuela’s Attorney General: Far-right colluded with gangsters to destabilize country (+Leopoldo López)

Crime as an electoral strategy
“It is right to ask ourselves: how can it be that criminals who ask you for compensation offer you to vote for a certain option in exchange for 50, 100 or 200 dollars?” said Eligio Rojas, referring to the gang’s specific actions to destabilize the nation. “It is a strange move for a criminal; it does not correspond to his criminal nature.”

Here another question arises: who gave the order to The Pepon and his group to buy votes in favor of Edmundo González? Were they perhaps his founding fathers? Were they perhaps recruited by Voluntad Popular, the party of María Corina Machado?

These questions from the Venezuelan journalist point to the dynamics of the mutual relations between extremist sectors of the opposition and organized crime in the country.

The information and data presented by Rojas prove the thesis that the political objectives of the extremist opposition were not exclusively and solely electoral in nature.

(Truthful message)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/AU

Mission Truth

Misión Verdad is a Venezuelan investigative journalism website with a socialist perspective in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution

Avatar for Vaseline
Vaseline https://newspowergreen.biz.id

You May Also Like

More From Author