
Oil tycoon Wilmer Ruperti showed up for a meeting with Venezuela’s intelligence agency last Thursday. A week later, he’s still in custody, one of his lawyers told Semafor.
“We’ve reached out to everybody trying to get proof of life or some support,” Winston & Strawn’s Cari Stinebower said, adding that officials still haven’t conveyed “how he’s being treated or why he’s being detained.”
Ruperti, who arrived at the meeting with a security detail, is a Venezuelan Italian shipping magnate who trades in petroleum coke. His detainment followed interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision to elevate the agency’s longtime chief to defense minister.
“The message is that Venezuela is open for business — but detaining businessmen for days on end without any due process or access to counsel is more old regime,” Stinebower said. “This is not law and order and not conducive of a welcoming business environment.”
The State Department and Energy Department did not respond to requests for comment.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Artemis II live updates: NASA's historic moon mission set to make lunar flyby today - 2
Striking American and European television Projects: A Survey - 3
Hundreds rally in West Bank against Israeli death penalty for Palestinians - 4
US FDA unveils new pathway to approve personalized therapies - 5
Why ordering takeout or calling the dog walker might lead to a happier relationship
15 skywatching events you won't want to miss in 2026
Palestinian infant freezes to death in Gaza as Israel keeps blocking aid
Have gravitational waves provided the first hint of primordial black holes born during the Big Bang?
MacArthur Foundation awards $100M to outbreak surveillance network, a boost amid global health cuts
Manual for 10 Scrumptious Specialty Mixed drinks
AI’s errors may be impossible to eliminate – what that means for its use in health care
Landon Donovan knew he couldn’t hide his hair loss. So he turned to fans for help.
Go on A Careful spending plan: Modest Objections for Your List of must-dos
Why the UAE has incurred the wrath of Somalia













