What do CGN and Odebrecht have in common? – Juan Pablo Carrasco
Juan Pablo Carrasco Amcham Guatemala chairman was caught up in the Odebrecht corruption scandal.The Odebrecht case is one of the largest corruption cases documented in recent Latin American history, spanning more than 30 years.
It is based on an investigation by the United States Department of Justice, along with 10 other Latin American countries, into the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. This investigation details how Odebrecht would have made bribes to presidents, former presidents and government officials of 12 countries: Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Mozambique, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, during the last 20 years, in order to obtain benefits in public contracting
In Guatemala, Odebrecht paid US $ 18,000,000 in bribes to state employees, between 2013 and 2015, so that the Ministry of Communications and Public Infrastructure would give this brazilian company the construction of 2 road stretches, through two Guatemalan companies, Sigma and Conasa.
The project was not only overvalued, but also delayed; on June 30, the Guatemalan Government checked out the development of this construction and, meanwhile the finances were at a 70% progress, the work was only at 33% of it. There were other abnormalities, and the Treasury Inspector´s Office of Guatemala ordered an investigation against Odebrecht.
The lawyer Juan Pablo Carrasco drafted the effective collaboration agreements in this case.
What about CGN?
CGN is a Mining Company that has operated in Guatemala since 2014. The subsidiary of Solway International, a Russian Mining Company, started to pollute the Izabal Lake, where they used to extract Nickel.
In 2017, a red lime emerged over the water of the largest lake in Guatemala, near a northeastern region of the country; In private, leaked documents reveal that executives knew that red water was pouring from its mine. Independent experts who reviewed Solway’s own water and sediment data said it showed that Lake Izabal is contaminated with heavy metals. Meanwhile, Solway’s Guatemalan subsidiaries have plowed funds into local communities to sway opinion in their favor. Journalists who reported on problems at the Fénix mine were harassed, surveilled, and their homes were raided.
The town close to it, El Estor, also suffered a harvest reduction in their cardamom plantations, skin diseases, lung diseases in women and children, and many unexplainable accidents in the plant.
The people of El Estor, and surrounding villages, protested. But GCN simply phoned the President, who set a “State of Emergency” and sent 500 policemen and 500 soldiers to control the protests and free the roads so the trucks full of nickel could drive to the port. There were death casualties during the scattering of these protests.
Solway had prepared the Izabal police department before these protests, buying them gasoline for their vehicles, or spare parts, food and large amounts of money; then the police helped CGN, not the people of El Estor.
The Guatemalan Constitutional Court decided to forbid a new mining license to the company, not just for the mentioned reason, but mainly because Solway didn´t ask the mayan people before starting its operations, which the International Laws dictate.
The lawyer adviser then suggested Solway to ignore the Guatemalan Justice pronouncement, and the Company kept extracting Nickel whatsoever, as there were no government or authorities in Guatemala.
Later, in late 2021, there were protests again; and again, a phone call to Alejandro Giammatei´s office, and soon there were sent policemen and soldiers in a “State of Emergency” set in the region, which allowed CGN to go on, extracting Nickel, poisoning the mayan people around the lake, polluting the environment, and laughing at the guatemalan authorities.
Here there is the report of OCCRP, “Mining secrets“, that shows further information. And the Lawyer adviser of Solway is Juan Pablo Carrasco.
But, who is Juan Pablo Carrasco?
This Guatemalan lawyer is one of the 4 founders of the Lawyers´Firm “Diaz-Duran”, involved in the international scandal “Panama Papers”, and also president of “Central Law”, another law Firm also deeply stuck in this scandal. Both lawyers´firms worked in association with Mossack Fonseca, the investigation center in the mentioned Panama Papers.
The set of documents called “Panama Papers” was a leak that revealed millions of corruption proofes around the world, in which many drug dealers, corrupt politicians and other criminal personalities were involved. And this man, Juan Pablo Carrasco, is mentioned 26 times in those documents. He has offshore accounts and a number of ghost companies, just to launder the money he gets illegally.
There is another case worth mentioning: Federico Machado. This known international drug dealer, already caught by Interpol, was represented by Central Law; this man had illegal mining activities in Guatemala.
There is no coincidence that an expert in Mining laws, Juan Pablo Carrasco, is involved in illegal mining activities, in pollution, in acts of violence, and in corruption.
The President of AmCham Guatemala Juan Pablo Carrasco
The North-American Chamber of Commerce in Guatemala is an organization that represents the interests of the US Government in this country. It also represents the north-american people´s moral values.
The United States of America have the goal to imprison all latinoamerican drug dealers; they also say their priority in this region is to fight corruption.
But AmCham Guatemala chose Juan Pablo Carrasco as its president from 2022.
A corrupt man, involved in Odebrecht, in CGN, disrespect to Guatemalan laws, money laundry, offshore accounts, Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, links with drug dealers, what we know so far, is the president, the leader, the representative of AmCham Guatemala.
Just one of these acts would be enough reason to fire him from that chairmanship, and even call the Guatemalan anti-corruption office. It is necessary to make a deep investigation regarding to this lawyer.
Raul Falla Ovalle asked the PGN Guatemala to report the name and another data of the guatemalan lawyers who helped Odebrecht to remain exempt from any penalties; here is one name: Juan Pablo Carrasco.