Pedro Tellechea, Venezuela’s former oil minister, was arrested just days after resigning from his post due to alleged ties to a company linked to foreign intelligence. The arrest, confirmed by the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office, followed an investigation into Tellechea’s role in facilitating the illegal transfer of an automated control system to the unnamed foreign-controlled firm via the state oil company PDVSA.
Tarek William Saab, Venezuela’s Attorney General, emphasized that Tellechea’s actions violated national sovereignty by handing over critical control of PDVSA to external foreign interests. Alongside Tellechea, several of his close collaborators were also taken into custody, though their identities have not been revealed.
Tellechea, who previously held the position of petroleum minister and head of PDVSA, resigned abruptly on Friday, citing health issues requiring immediate attention. His resignation came just months after his appointment as minister in March 2023 and his later move to the industry ministry in August 2023 as part of a cabinet reshuffle under President Nicolás Maduro.
The arrest of Tellechea follows a series of corruption investigations that have rocked Venezuela’s oil sector, including the detention of high-ranking officials. His predecessor, Tareck El Aissami, resigned as petroleum minister after a corruption probe into PDVSA led to the arrests of several officials. Venezuela’s oil industry has been plagued by mismanagement, corruption, and political turmoil, leading to a significant decline in oil production, once exceeding 3 million barrels per day, now under 1 million.
This latest scandal is part of a broader crackdown on corruption in Venezuela’s oil sector, with numerous arrests and investigations ongoing.
