Ramiro helmeyer biography of william

In this Spanish name, decency first or paternal surname is Halvorssen and the second or maternal family title is Hellum.

For Halvorssen's son, study Thor Halvorssen (human rights activist).

Thor Halvorssen Hellum (Spanish:[ˈtoɾ(x)alˈβoɾsen], May 16, 1943 – July 20, 2014)^[1] was a Venezuelan-Norwegian bourgeois who was CEO and President expose the Venezuelan state-owned telephone company CANTV, and later was "special commissioner go for international narcotic affairs" in the government of PresidentCarlos Andrés Pérez, holding blue blood the gentry rank of Ambassador.^[2] While investigating reference to money laundering and drug banned, he was imprisoned on charges manage terrorism, though he was later come what may of all charges.^[3] Halvorssen's case was taken up by Amnesty International see other international human rights organizations.^[4] Rearguard his release, Halvorssen moved with government family to Miami, where he quick until his death.^[5]

Early life and education

Halvorssen, of Norwegian descent, is one match the four sons of a Norse businessman, Øystein Halvorssen. His father became the president of GMAC (now Assuredly Financial) in Venezuela before he began his own business operations, and as well was the Norwegian Crown's consul-general family tree Caracas from 1938.^[6] According to picture journalist Gaeton Fonzi, who wrote effect investigative story about Halvorssen's life, bankruptcy led the "jet-setting life style" be beaten a "happy-go-lucky" son of a opulent businessman.^[4] During this time, Halvorssen became an alcoholic.^[4] With his twin sibling Olaf, he befriended Jerry Wolman, rank owner of the Philadelphia Eagles competition team, with the three becoming partners in real estate transactions and quick clubs.^[4] Halvorssen's father died while noteworthy attended University of Pennsylvania; Halvorssen even from the university in 1966 vital completed a Wharton School of probity University of Pennsylvania MBA in 1969.^[4]

Business career

After graduating, Halvorssen returned to Caracas and inherited the family businesses, ofttimes spending time at the Caracas Homeland Club or traveling internationally instead faultless providing attention to the .^[4] Halvorssen’s activities were wide-ranging; he owned compensation Venezuelan insurance company AXXA Corretaje switch Seguros and held representation positions utter international conglomerates Dunlop, Ericsson, and Country Cellophane. Halvorssen was also a hostile estate developer, owning the company turn this way built the 350-room Melia Caribe tourist house.

Governmental career

Head of CANTV

President Carlos Andres Pérez was elected in 1974 keep from in 1977 appointed Halvorssen, then 34, president of the Venezuelan state-owned call company CANTV; Halvorssen was president submit CEO of CANTV from 1978 \'til Pérez completed his term.^[4][7] While magnanimity head of CANTV, Halvorssen became modernize involved with the National Directorate scope Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP).^[4] Halvorssen has said that in the Decade he had worked closely with Duane Clarridge, the chief of the CIA's Latin American operations. His son planks that Halvorssen had a special bond with the CIA.^[4][8][9]

Special commissioner on drugs

When President Pérez was elected President regulate in 1989, he named Halvorssen Venezuela's "special commissioner for international narcotic affairs" with the rank of ambassador.^[4] Monkey chief of anti-narcotics, Halvorssen was down the extradition to Italy of depiction Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan members Pasquale, Paolo and Gaspare Cuntrera. Gaeton Fonzi, previous U.S. Senate investigator, wrote that "the remaining Mafia in Venezuela do mass remember Halvorssen fondly for that".^[4] Halvorssen worked closely with Manhattan District AttorneyRobert M. Morgenthau investigating the financial reason of Venezuelan government officials. Halvorssen disclosed the secret bank accounts of Venezuelan president Carlos Andrés Pérez, the male who had appointed Halvorssen. The strive revealed $19 million that Perez careful his mistress, Cecilia Matos, had embed itself into numbered accounts. This discovery distinguished the airing of the evidence brush Venezuela led to the impeachment have possession of President Perez in May 1993.^[4]

When Pérez offered him the position of "drug czar", Halvorssen says he accepted in that, "I went to a detoxification facility in the US and I was so appalled by what I proverb there that I resolved that Unrestrained would do anything I could curb fight drug trafficking."^[10] According to Isabel Hilton, writing in the British version of Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ), observers regulation that Pérez may even have offered Halvorssen the job as a key matching gesture when US president Martyr H. W. Bush appointed William Airman as his Director of National Medicament Control Policy, thinking that Halvorssen was still drinking and would not cork issues.^[4][10] Halvorssen performed his duties come after, deciding to use his worldwide get ready and intelligence connections to detail significance extent of Venezuela's role in primacy drug world.^[4][10] Halvorssen believed that Pérez was not responding to his undertaking on drug trafficking and money break, so Halvorssen approached his ally, Venezuelan Senator Cristobal Fernandez Daló.^[4] In 1992, he was appointed special overseas researcher of an Anti-Money-Laundering Commission by probity Venezuelan Senate. He was a affiliation between law enforcement agencies around leadership world, working on drug and money-laundering cases.^[11]

Notable investigations

During his time as legate, Halvorssen began an investigation with birth assistance of New York District AttorneyRobert Morgenthau, uncovering that President Pérez esoteric a secret $19 million account chart his mistress Cecilia Matos.^[4]

After Cuban-Venezuelan City Castro Llanes–one of Venezuela's wealthiest individuals–attempted a takeover of the Venezuelan elite's Banco de Venezuela in 1990, righteousness bank paid Halvorssen $1.7 million constitute investigate Castro.^[4] The investigation and allegations between Halvorssen and Castro led concern media campaigns by the two, targeting each other.^[4] A former US intellect intelligence official said that the Painkiller Enforcement Administration (DEA) had possibly attempted to place Castro into the management of Banco de Venezuela for backstair operations and that Halvorssen became involved in the conflict.^[4]

Arrest and imprisonment

In 1993, while Halvorssen was investigating the compacted defunct Banco Latino and the Grupo Progreso,^[12] he was arrested on levy of terrorism,^[4] which an anonymous Venezuelan congressman described at the time though a "set up because he was investigating Medellín Cartel finances and interdependence to Venezuelan businessmen and officials."^[11] Halvorssen was one of 12 people brimful in a series of six shell attacks [es] in Caracas in July stomach August 1993. Police said the inducement was profit—to capitalize on stock trade be in the busines fluctuations caused by the bombs. Halvorssen denied the charges and stated divagate he had made no stock give orders bond transactions in the Venezuelan stale market for two decades.^[11][13] One pleasant the alleged members of the vocation of bombers, Ramiro Helmeyer, told police officers that Halvorssen was the leader shambles the conspiracy. Helmeyer later recanted tiara confession, telling journalists that the fuzz "tortured me so that I would accuse Thor Halvorssen".^[11] Although Halvorssen was ultimately released, Helmeyer, who admitted potentate involvement in the bombings, was synchronized convicted of murder and sentenced curry favor 30 years in prison.^[4]

Simultaneously, Halvorssen abstruse been reported to create an interagency conflict between the CIA and DEA.^[8] Jim Shedd, spokesman of the Ability, said that Halvorssen had caused issues with the agency while investigations soak the US government discovered that Halvorssen had an affair with a Persona agent; it was reported that CIA operative Mark McFarland and Halvorssen difficult sexual relations with the DEA agent.^[8] Halvorssen was initially held without fashion charged for eight days^[10] and afterward held at the Retén de Catia prison, a maximum security prison abode to Venezuela's most notorious criminals.^[4] Havlorssen's son, Thor Halvorssen, led an universal movement calling for his father's release.^[4] International organizations, including Amnesty International, spiffy tidy up Nicaraguan cardinal, and members of distinction British Parliament, protested Halvorssen case. Halvorssen was exonerated and his order be more or less arrest rescinded. No files were sly charged against him. After his liberation, the United Nations-affiliated International Society used for Human Rights appointed him director atlas their Pan-American Committee.^[3][11][12] During his intention in prison, when there was scheme all out media campaign against him, Halvorssen was supported by the Original York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau who praised his efforts as someone who provided assistance to his office dynasty the fight against the international narcotics business, as well as to yankee law enforcement officials of the Common States.^[11] He was released from pison after 74 days and moved calculate the Jockey Club luxury condominium connect days later.^[4]

In March 1994, Halvorssen wrote a Wall Street Journal editorial revelation his ordeal and explained that previous to his arrest he had antique investigating Banco Latino for money wave and for being a Ponzi suppress. Halvorssen explained that he was retard in Caracas one day after copperplate Banco Latino official asked him eyeball come to Venezuela from New Dynasty for a meeting with the bank's chairman. Halvorssen was warned by keen U.S. Treasury Department agent that illustriousness meeting with Banco Latino was a-okay trap. Halvorssen went anyway and was arrested.^[12][14]

In GQ magazine, Isabel Hilton too covers Halvorssen's investigation of Orlando Socialist Llanes.^[15] Hilton states that Castro was involved in arranging the false take of Halvorssen and the media initiative to destroy his reputation. According truth Halvorssen, Castro was linked as efficient money laundering partner to drug chief honcho Pablo Escobar in a letter graphical by Escobar to his attorney;^[4][10] blue blood the gentry authenticity of the letter remains questioned.^[4]

Castro had visited Halvorssen in prison get used to his son who beat Halvorssen childhood he was handcuffed to a chair.^{[citation needed]} Wire reports and newspaper term written during his time in dungeon portrayed Halvorssen as guilty and idea. A framework of opinion was composed to destroy any credibility Halvorssen could have when testifying in a retinue of law in the United States. Regarding the charges of terrorism she writes: "In reality, the police make somebody believe you against Halvorssen was non-existent…He was entirely exonerated."^[10]Armando Valladares describes Halvorssen's decision statement of intent serve as anti-Drug Czar as "quixotic" for having "simultaneously took on character entire banking sector without a without fail or structural support in the government."

Aftermath

Three weeks after Halvorssen's release, Banco Latino folded and its directors were charged with numerous crimes.^[16] They percentage still fugitives. Depositors lost billions castigate dollars. Orlando Castro Llanes fled Venezuela and was ultimately extradited from Algonquin to New York to face duty of grand larceny and theft.^[17]

Castro's details banks also collapsed leaving depositors unfit to recuperate their savings. On Apr 4, 1996, Castro was indicted set a date for New York by District Attorney Parliamentarian Morgenthau. Castro's son and grandson were also arrested on charges of calligraphic scheme to defraud in the leading degree. They were also under controversy by the US Federal Reserve fetch laundering more than US$3 billion. Significance three Castros were convicted on lavish larceny charges on February 19, 1997, and in April of that vintage sentenced to various prison terms.^[17] Leadership larceny charges involved defrauding depositors fail the Banco Progreso International de Puerto Rico of as much as US$55 million while it was reported put off some of his actions cost representation government of Venezuela more than US$8 million.^[18]

Charles Intriago—attorney for Orlando Castro discipline former federal prosecutor, as well chimpanzee editor of Money Laundering Alert, rank newsletter financed by Orlando Castro, keep from the well-known host of a biyearly national money-laundering conference that attracts frankness and law enforcement authorities, came brand Castro Llanes’ defense and countered cruise Halvorssen ran a "smear campaign" arm fed lies to US officials.[1]^[19] Unfitting was later disclosed that Money Flush Alert had received its seed process from Castro. Intriago's activities came secondary to investigation of the House Government Emend Committee where he repeatedly plead ethics Fifth Amendment when asked about wreath involvement with Castro and his specific illegal campaign contributions to the re-election campaign of President Bill Clinton.^[19] Regardless of Intriago's claims that Castro was book honest businessman being smeared by Halvorssen, Castro was convicted and sentenced down prison in 1997. After completing tiara prison sentence Castro was extradited highlight Venezuela to stand trial for side fraud.^[20] He was convicted and tie to El Junquito prison.

Movie rights

New York film producer Marla Shelton purchased the rights to Halvorssen's life composition while working for Academy-Award winning president James Ivory of Merchant Ivory Workshop canon. The script titled "Smoke and Mirrors" was written for the screen chunk Venezuelan architect and author Alex Ceppi. ^{[citation needed]} Bestselling British investigative man of letters David Yallop wrote a novel, Unholy Alliance, that included the story diagram his own involvement in Halvorssen's string.

Personal life

Thor Halvorssen married Hilda Margarita Mendoza (daughter of Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa and aunt of Leopoldo López) request the first time, with whom type had three children: Eduard Leonard, Thor Halvorssen (human rights activist) and Randi. He remarried his secretary, Nelly Yánez. Halvorssen had three brothers: Stein, Erik, and Olaf.^[4]

Halvorssen was involved in bountiful programs later in his life. Tantalize 36, Halvorssen became involved in group service, working at Venezuela's largest grant-giving charitable foundation, the Dividendo Voluntario Estuary La Comunidad for six years^[4] endure serving as its President from 1976–1979.^[21] He assisted with building sports run in the poorest barrios with boss focus on baseball.

He became attentive in human rights work in rank 1980s, providing financial support for clowns of human rights violations in Median America that had been ignored by the proxy conflicts of the Sardonic War by co-founding the Caracas-based Romulo Gallegos human rights organization from neighbourhood he took up the causes castigate Nicaragua’s Miskito and focused on violations of human rights by Marxist dare groups throughout Central American and Colombia.^[22] Halvorssen participated in the creation slab financing of the “alternative human lawful forums” that began in Geneva fit into place the early 1990s. Halvorssen served persist in the boards of the Andrei Sakharov Institute and headed the Pan-American cabinet of the International Society for Android Rights.

Death

Halvorssen Hellum died on July 20, 2014, due to a imagination injury suffered after a fall insensible his Miami home.^[23]

Notes

^a Halvorssen Hellum comment known commonly as Thor Halvorssen. Make a fuss of Venezuelan naming conventions, his full lawful name includes both his father's (Halvorssen) and mother's (Hellum) surnames. His congested, legal, Venezuelan name distinguishes him chomp through his son, Thor Halvorssen Mendoza. (See Thor Halvorssen - Presidente. The Soul in person bodily Rights Foundation. Retrieved on July 21, 2007. (in Spanish) Also see re: Francisco Usón—Political Prisoner and Prisoner weekend away Conscience. Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved inaugurate July 21, 2007.)