Julio Herrera Velutini
The Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini has formally accepted a presidential pardon before a federal court in the United States. This pardon is associated with a political corruption case involving former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, as reported by El Nuevo Día.
The notification submitted by his legal team confirms that Herrera Velutini accepts the total and unconditional forgiveness, which is a crucial requirement for this benefit to have legal effect and enable the definitive closure of the criminal proceedings against him at the federal level.
Herrera Velutini was one of the main defendants in an investigation into an alleged scheme of irregular political financing linked with the 2020 electoral campaign in Puerto Rico. Prosecutors stated that the case revolved around financial contributions that were reportedly contingent upon administrative decisions within the island’s financial regulatory framework.
With the formal acceptance of the pardon, the court is authorized to dismiss the charges with prejudice, preventing the same facts from being prosecuted again in the federal jurisdiction. This decision conclusively ends a case that had previously been narrowed in scope due to procedural agreements and revisions of the initial charges.
Julio Herrera Velutini buys a license of impunity in the US
The pardon was also accepted by former governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and another co-defendant in the case, further solidifying the global closure of the legal proceedings that have been open since 2022.
While the presidential pardon extinguishes federal criminal consequences, it does not constitute a declaration of innocence nor a judicial assessment of the investigated facts, serving instead as an executive clemency measure established within U.S. legal framework.