BUENOS AIRES (AFP) -
Argentina's
new president Mauricio Macri, star footballer Lionel Messi and a key
player in Brazil's political crisis are among the Latin Americans caught
up in the Panama Papers leaks revealing international tax fraud.
Documents
from the Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, which helped set up the
offshore companies, were shared with media worldwide by the
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Here are some of the high-profile Latin Americans linked to the scandal so far.
- ARGENTINA -
President Mauricio Macri
He took office in December vowing to fight corruption and fix the economy.
La Nacion newspaper said Macri, his father and brother were directors of an offshore company registered in the Bahamas.
Macri said Monday "there was nothing strange about the operation" and that it was declared to tax authorities.
"It was a legal operation run by somebody else, to set up a company to invest in Brazil," he said on television.
Lionel Messi
Hailed
by many as the best footballer in the world, the Argentina and
Barcelona striker and his father Jorge were named as owners of a company
undisclosed to the Spanish tax authorities.
The family said Monday it was "a totally inactive company that never had any funds or any open current accounts."
The
leaks also mentioned Nestor Grindetti, finance minister for the city of
Buenos Aires when Macri was mayor, and Daniel Munoz, former private
secretary to late ex-president Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007).
- BRAZIL -
Eduardo Cunha
Among 57 Brazilians named in the leaks is the man spearheading the charge to drive President Dilma Rousseff from office.
Cunha
is the speaker of the lower house of Brazil's legislature, where an
impeachment committee is hearing allegations against the president.
Although his own name does not appear on the list, he is the owner of one of the Brazilian firms named in the leaks.
He denied the allegation.
- MEXICO -
Juan Armando Hinojosa Cantu
This
tycoon is reportedly close to President Enrique Pena Nieto. Website
Aristegui Noticias reported that one of Hinojosa's companies provided a
lavish mansion for Pena Nieto's wife.
Other Mexicans linked to the
Panama Papers include an oil company contractor, politicians, a popular
actress, and people connected to drug cartels, the magazine Proceso
reported.
- PERU -
Allies of Fujimori
Two major
supporters of leading presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori -- Jorge
Javier Yoshiyama Sasaki and Sil Yok Leethey -- have undeclared offshore
assets, according to news website Ojo Publico.
The report was
likely to fuel protests by opponents of Fujimori, who is the daughter of
jailed ex-president Alberto Fujimori and leads in the polls heading
into a presidential election Sunday.
- CHILE -
Gonzalo Delaveau Swett
The
head of the anti-corruption campaign group Transparent Chile is one of
the highest profile Chileans named, investigative journalism body CIPER
said.
Former Real Madrid striker Ivan Zamorano was another.
- COLOMBIA -
Hollman Carranza
The son of late gem baron Victor Carranza, who was dubbed "the king of emeralds," is among 850 Colombians named in the leaks.
Carlos Gutierrez Robayo
The
brother-in-law of the former mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro, reportedly
set up 15 companies and foundations in Panama and the Virgin Islands.
Petro slammed the allegations and distanced himself from Gutierrez.
Colombian
President Juan Manuel Santos and his Guatemalan counterpart Jimmy
Morales said on Monday they hoped the leaks would boost the fight
against fraud.
"This is a fight that we all have to wage against tax evasion, money laundering, organized crime and corruption," Santos said.
- COSTA RICA -
The
leaks name prominent right-wing deputy Otto Guevara, who blocked a bill
to crack down on tax fraud, according to the news site Seminario
Universidad. He denied knowing about the Mossack Fonseca law firm.
Media said hundreds of other companies in Guatemala and El Salvador were named in the leaks.
by Paula Bustamante
© 2016 AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment