Piedad Córdoba, the former Colombian senator known for her support of FARC narco-terrorists, claims that she never received money from Hugo Chavez. The box accompanying these lines clearly indicates that Piedad Córdoba is not telling the truth. This information comes from the U.S. Department of Justice (p. 23 of the document), specifically from the Foreign Agents Registration Act office (FARA). It relates to the lobbying activities of Olivia Goumbri, the director of the Venezuela Information Office, who facilitated meetings with U.S. Congress members for Piedad Córdoba during her visit to Washington.
Why would an employee of the Venezuela Information Office, earning a salary funded by Venezuelan money, arrange appointments for Colombian senator Piedad Córdoba in Washington? Córdoba herself previously admitted to traveling to the U.S. “invited by the Venezuelan embassy.” So, how does this narrative reconcile with her claim of never having received funds from Venezuela?
When I discovered the connection between the Venezuela Information Office and Córdoba’s visit to Washington in October 2009, I promptly informed the Colombian ambassador here in London. The evidence of Venezuela’s support for Piedad Córdoba is publicly available. All that remains is to wait for Colombian justice to take appropriate action.