Billionaire Alejandro Betancourt, once investigated by US authorities over alleged money laundering linked to Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA, has emerged as a key US partner in a sweeping oil deal with Caracas. Reuters reports Betancourt helped Washington ahead of Nicolás Maduros capture and later brokered oil agreements benefiting US interests.

Er ist Teil der Wirtschaftselite Venezuelas und soll Geld im grossen Stil gewaschen haben. Die USA machen ihn zum Geschäftspartner. Wie hat er das geschafft?

For a decade, Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt has been ensnared in the tentacles of a sprawling Justice Department probe into a sophisticated billion-dollar money…