Citgo's Simón Bolívar Foundation disputes claims of funding Viera-Blanco family wedding

The Simón Bolívar Foundation, associated with Citgo, has issued a strong denial regarding accusations of financing a private event for the Viera-Blanco family. The foundation categorically refuted claims that it funded any activity related to Orlando Viera-Blanco, former interim Venezuelan ambassador to Canada.

In a statement, the foundation clarified that the accusation is false and the reported figure of $75,000 is incorrect. It asserted that no payments were made to the Viera-Blanco family, nor was any wedding financed. The foundation did, however, grant $50,000 in 2020 to the non-profit American Venezuelan Engagement Foundation Inc. (AVEF) as part of its COVID-19 Small Grants Program.

According to the foundation, this disbursement followed an open and impartial process, directly to the organization. A subsequent internal audit, the exact date of which was not specified, reportedly found that the president of AVEF was married to Viera-Blanco. This undisclosed marital link, the foundation claims, disqualified AVEF from receiving the grant under its internal regulations. Consequently, the foundation rescinded the grant, recovering $28,000 of the initial $50,000. The remaining $22,000, the statement added, had already been allocated to the Feeding Smiles food assistance program, which distributed over 368,000 meals to vulnerable Venezuelan families.