Panamanian Businessman with Ties to Chavismo Survives Maiquetía Plane Crash

A recent private jet crash in Venezuela not only disrupted the country's air operations but also reignited concerns about foreign contractors' dealings with Nicolás Maduro's regime. The Learjet 55, registered as YV-3440, crashed midday Wednesday at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira. Among the passengers was Ramón Carretero Napolitano, a Panamanian businessman with lucrative contracts totaling hundreds of millions with the Chavista administration, noted for his close ties to the presidential family.

According to the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), the crash occurred at 12:52 p.m., triggering emergency protocols and causing a visible plume of smoke from various vantage points along the central coast. Unverified reports suggest that two individuals were rescued alive and are stable in Caracas hospitals. Infobae reports one of them is the controversial Panamanian entrepreneur.

The aviation authority has launched an investigation to uncover the accident's causes.

From Public Contracts to Private Payments

Carretero is not just any passenger. A collaborative investigation by CLIP, Transparency Venezuela in Exile, Armando.Info, and La Prensa of Panama revealed that he began securing contracts in Venezuela in 2013, as Hugo Chávez was dying and Maduro was taking interim power.

Within just seven months, his company, Lanvicorp, signed three contracts worth approximately $700 million with the Pro-Patria 2000 Foundation to build gyms, renovate hotels in La Guaira, and construct the "Hugo Chávez" baseball stadium in Caracas. Payments from the regime began swiftly. Bank records indicate that between 2013 and 2014, Lanvicorp received at least $138 million from the National Development Fund (Fonden) as advance payments for these projects.

Soon after, portions of these funds ended up in accounts controlled by Juan Carlos López Tovar and Iriamni Malpica Flores, the niece of First Lady Cilia Flores. In 2014, Carretero's companies transferred at least $5.8 million to entities linked to López Tovar. The transactions involved hefty checks, alleged dividends, and recommendation letters from Carretero himself to facilitate mortgage loans for the couple in Panama.

Shared Flights and Joint Ventures

Carretero's relationship with López Tovar extended beyond financial transactions. They shared numerous private jet flights between Caracas and Panama on days when contracts were awarded and large sums were disbursed.

In 2014, they co-founded Grupo Carrelop, a company named after their surnames, and another entity called Galeras del Este, both engaged in real estate and aircraft leasing. The López Tovar-Malpica Flores couple acquired luxury apartments in Panama for over $3 million, partially funded by loans recommended by Carretero. They also spent tens of thousands in high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Salvatore Ferragamo in a single day in December 2014, while Venezuela faced one of its toughest years of shortages.

Banks Under Scrutiny

Flagged by compliance departments, Carretero's financial activities caught the attention of banks like Allbank in Panama and Banco del Orinoco in Curaçao, both linked to financier Víctor Vargas, known as "Chávez's banker." In 2015, Allbank closed accounts belonging to Carretero and the López-Malpica family following multiple suspicious activity alerts, although by then, transfers had already funded properties and luxuries in Panama.

Subsequently, Panamanian and U.S. authorities sanctioned several entities connected to the Flores and López Tovar families. Nevertheless, Carretero continued his business with the regime; between 2016 and 2018, he signed contracts with the state-owned Corpovex to import toys, appliances, tires, and items linked to the Carnet de la Patria, exceeding an additional $45 million.

Ties to Cuba

Carretero's business network also extended to Cuba. Through the Caribbean Logistics Corporation, his companies operated on the island for over two decades, facilitating supplies and dealings in state-controlled sectors. Flight logs show the crashed Learjet made frequent trips to Havana, following a route long used to connect interests between Caracas and Havana.

Previous investigations documented that some contracts awarded in Venezuela were executed with logistics in Cuba, where Carretero established links with Havana's regime. The ill-fated aircraft was among the jets used by Chavista officials for their regular travels to the island.

A Crash with Political Resonance

Carretero's trajectory epitomizes how foreign contractors amassed wealth through their connections with the Chavista elite and the Cuban regime, while millions of Venezuelans faced rampant inflation, food shortages, and a collapse of services. His presence among the survivors of the Maiquetía crash casts a shadow over these operations, which, under different circumstances, might have remained a mere incident report.

Neither the Venezuelan government nor Panamanian authorities have officially confirmed the passengers' identities or their current condition. The investigation into the crash's technical causes is just beginning, but Carretero's story reopens an uncomfortable file: the business dealings that, under the cover of Chavismo and linked to Cuba, built private fortunes while the country was plunged into crisis.

The Maiquetía crash also occurs amid heightened tension for Chavismo. U.S. military and diplomatic pressure under Donald Trump's administration has fueled rumors of defections and stoked paranoia in Miraflores. In this context, the crash of a jet used by prominent Chavista figures for flights to Cuba and Panama, with a key regime contractor on board, adds to the episodes portraying an embattled and vulnerable ruling power.

While authorities insist the crash's causes are under technical investigation, many analysts view the incident as illustrating a moment of uncertainty and possible capital flight and accountability challenges shaking the Chavista elite.