Raúl Gorrín Belisario, a Venezuelan businessman and owner of the Globovisión channel, has been facing a series of federal charges in the United States since 2017 related to corruption, money laundering, and bribery linked to operations of the Venezuelan government. According to U.S. prosecutors, his name appears as a key element in the financial architecture that facilitated the movement of capital derived from the currency control system and contracts associated with Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).
The accusations were mainly filed in the Southern District of Florida and describe a scheme of illicit payments to Venezuelan officials to obtain financial benefits, preferential access to foreign exchange operations, and government contracts. According to court documents, Gorrín allegedly participated in an international network of transfers and corporate structures designed to conceal the source of funds from irregular operations.
Federal Charges in the United States
The U.S. authorities have charged Gorrín with:
- Conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Nine additional charges for laundering monetary instruments.
- Bribery of high-ranking officials in the Venezuelan state financial system.
Prosecutors argue that the businessman channeled millions of dollars through offshore companies, international bank accounts, and triangular financial operations to legitimize funds derived from government-related schemes.
Subsequent investigations broadened the scope of the case, indicating that part of the supposedly laundered funds exceeded one billion dollars related to operations with PDVSA, through fictitious loans, inflated contracts, and transfers across multiple jurisdictions.
Sanctions and Asset Seizure
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), imposed sanctions against Gorrín and his business network, blocking assets and restricting transactions under U.S. jurisdiction.
Moreover, federal courts authorized the seizure of properties linked to his financial structure, including real estate in Miami and New York, presumably acquired with funds from illicit operations.
Fugitive and Out of Judicial Reach
Since the charges were formally laid, U.S. federal agencies have considered Gorrín a fugitive. His name has been included in international search records and active judicial cooperation files, while he remains outside federal jurisdiction.
The inability to bring him to court has hampered the procedural progress of the case, although investigations continue open and are linked to other files of financial corruption related to Venezuela.
Media Power and Political Connections
Gorrín’s rise within the chavista environment coincided with his purchase of Globovisión in 2013, an operation that consolidated his influence in the Venezuelan media landscape. Since then, his name has been associated with both communication control and financial networks close to political power.
His case intertwines with broader investigations into officials, intermediaries, and operators involved in international transactions linked to PDVSA and the Venezuelan currency system, framing what prosecutors have described as a transnational web of corruption and asset laundering.
Implications of the Case
The file against Raúl Gorrín is considered one of the most representative of judicial proceedings in the United States related to Venezuelan corruption. The investigation reveals the intersection between economic power, state structures, and international financial networks used to divert public capital into private circuits.
Its evolution will depend on legal and political factors, including potential judicial cooperation mechanisms or extradition requests. Should his appearance before U.S. courts materialize, the case could provide new insights into the internal workings of financial schemes associated with chavismo and the international flow of resources derived from PDVSA.
For now, Gorrín remains one of the most relevant names in the open federal cases in the United States against economic operators linked to Venezuelan political power, with a process that continues to develop and with potential implications at the regional and international levels.