
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
Dave Coulier shares new cancer diagnosis 1 year after revealing previous diagnosis - 2
Former 'Bachelorette' welcomes 1st baby via emergency c-section - 3
OPEC’s No. 2 Producer Burns Its Own Gas—Then Buys Iran’s - 4
What Yogurt Types Do You Know - 5
This Miraculous, Cliff-Perched Town In The South Of France Is A Sacred European Gem
How a Middle East War Becomes a Retail Price Hike
The most effective method to Keep up with Proficient Handshakes in a Computerized World
'It's doing badly': Fears grow for whale stuck off Germany's coast
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 204 — A New NASA
Why Tourists May Want To Reconsider Traveling To This Popular Spot In Italy In 2026
EU calls on Western Balkans to step up reforms for membership
UN experts urge investigation into Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalists
Benedict Cumberbatch takes on something even Sherlock can’t solve: male grief
Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way













