
Oil tycoon Wilmer Ruperti showed up for a meeting with Venezuela’s intelligence agency last Thursday. A week later, he’s still in custody, one of his lawyers told Semafor.
“We’ve reached out to everybody trying to get proof of life or some support,” Winston & Strawn’s Cari Stinebower said, adding that officials still haven’t conveyed “how he’s being treated or why he’s being detained.”
Ruperti, who arrived at the meeting with a security detail, is a Venezuelan Italian shipping magnate who trades in petroleum coke. His detainment followed interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision to elevate the agency’s longtime chief to defense minister.
“The message is that Venezuela is open for business — but detaining businessmen for days on end without any due process or access to counsel is more old regime,” Stinebower said. “This is not law and order and not conducive of a welcoming business environment.”
The State Department and Energy Department did not respond to requests for comment.
South America's Memorable Destinations: A Movement Guide
Flight cancellations: Full list of 40 airports hit by FAA cuts amid government shutdown
When the moon hits your eye from your Orion ship up high, that's a 'mare'
6 Exemplary Mexican Dishes
Arctic sea ice hits lowest winter level as heat records are shattered worldwide
Computerized Domains d: A Survey of \Vivid Undertakings\ Computer generated Reality Game
4 Creative Savvy Home Gadgets of 2024: Reforming Home Robotization and Security
Banks for High Fixed Store Rates: Augment Your Investment funds
Iran Used $2 Billion in Crypto to Run Its Militant Proxies in 2025













