Yesterday, the largest journalistic leak in history, titled Panama Papers, took place with the participation of the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, suggesting that 140 politicians and officials from around the globe, including 72 former and current world leaders, are involved with secret "offshore" companies in order to avoid taxes in their countries and hide their fortunes.
These public figures allegedly did this through one of the world's largest offshore law firms, Mossack Fonseca, which resides in Panama. Although the practice is not illegal, most times, when these fake companies are made up (especially those with fake directors), it is to participate in illicit activities.
- Current Argentinean President Mauricio Macri.
- Soccer superstar and Barça player Lionel Messi.
- Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and his brother Agustín.
- Pilar de Borbón, sister to former Spanish King Juan Carlos.
- Current Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto’s “favorite contractor” from Grupo Higa, Juan Armando Hinojosa.
- João Lyra, Member of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies Brazil.
- Alfredo Ovalle Rodríguez, Chile’s intelligence agency associate.
- Both from Ecuador, Galo Chiriboga, who is the current Attorney General and Pedro Delgado, former Governor of the Central Bank.
- Riccardo Francolini, former chairman of the Peruvian state-owned SavingsBank and César Almeyda, Director of the National Intelligence Service in Peru, as well.
- Both from Venezuela, Victor Cruz Weffer, former commander-in-chief of the army and Jesús Villanueva, former Director of PDVSA.
- Daniel Muñoz, aide to former Argentina presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Néstor Kirchner.
- César Rosenthal, son of former Honduras Vice President Jaime Rosenthal.
- Mexican actress Edith González through husband law firm director, Lorenzo Lazo Margain, who is linked to the son of former Mexican president Miguel Alemán Valdes, Miguel Alemán Velasco.
- Idalécio de Oliveira from Brazil, potential briber of President of the Chamber of Deputies Eduardo Cunha.
- Javier Molina Bonilla, former advisor to Director of the National Intelligence Secretariat Rommy Vallejo in Ecuador.
- From Spain, Micaela Domecq Solís-Beaumont, wife of Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy and former Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
- Some of those involved in the FIFA scandals also came up, such as Eugenio Figueredo, former President of CONMEBOL and Vice President and member of the ethics committee of FIFA. As well as Argentinean businessmen Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, plus Juan Pedro Damiani, also a member of the FIFA Ethics Committee.
- Iván Zamorano, retired Chilean football striker who played with Real Madrid for years.
- Other Argentine footballers (aside from Messi) include, Gabriel Iván Heinze and Leonardo Ulloa.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.