A POSTSCRIPT TO THE "SUITCASEGATE" BULK CASH SMUGGLING SCANDAL

Fast & Furious, Venezuelan style.

Remember Guido Antonini Wilson ? The Venezuelan-American racing car driver, from Key Biscayne, Florida. who was intercepted with $800,000, while attempting to smuggle the cash into Argentina, allegedly as an illegal presidential campaign contribution for Sra. Cristina Kirchner ? The case ended up as a criminal prosecution, in Federal Court in Miami, involving the charge of being an unregistered agent of the Government of Venezuela. It was the subject of several articles on this blog. Of special interest was the Venezuelan offer, to Antonini, of a payment of $2m for his silence, and threats made against the life of his son, if he did not cooperate. The unwanted presence of Venezuelan intelligence officers in Miami, who were not properly registered as foreign agents, made the story one of great public interest, especially within the Venezuelan expat community.

The controversial death of death of Argentinian prosecutor Alberto Nisman has focused attention upon Argentina once more. Now,  a magazine article from a Brazilian writer, and a book by an American journalist, which are based, in part, upon information gleaned through interviews of former senior Venezuelan officials who have obtained asylum in the United States, add to the original suitcase gate backstory. Reportedly, the money Antonini sought to smuggle into Argentina came directly from Iran, which was buying not only Argentine delays in the investigation into the 1994 AMIA bombing, but also purchasing critical nuclear technology, which would assist Iran in converting Uranium into Plutonium, for its nuclear bomb program.The $2m hush money for Amtonini was also from Iran.

Apparently, there exists a Memorandum of Understanding, between Iran and Argentina, whereby Argentina will receive large payments, and in exchange, will make its classified nuclear program available to Iran, as well as stall the AMIA bombing investigation, and remove the INTERPOL alerts, filed against the perpetrators of two Iran-sponsored bombings of Jewish targets in Argentina.

These connections, between Iran & Venezuela, are sell known and documented, but the new intelligence regarding the developing relationship, between Argentina and Iran, could result in a substantial increase in Country Risk for Argentina, due to international sanctions in place against Iran.