A Colombian executive acknowledged that in several deliveries and in sealed envelopes, ended up receiving about $ 10,000 in cash – about 30 million pesos – from a Russian citizen who initially presented himself as a business adviser to the government of the powerful Vladimir Putin.
You don’t remember if the Russian approached him in an academic or economic forum, but, little by little, he approached him through occasional meetings and invitations to restaurants and meetings, where the Muscovite showed himself to be an influential and rich man.
(We invite you to read: The secret file of the Russian espionage plot in Colombia)
But the so-called business advisor He became one of two spies expelled by the Colombian government on December 8 in an unprecedented diplomatic decision. that it further strained relations with the Kremlin, beaten by its public and military support for the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro.
The Duque government accused the two Russians – Alexander Paristov and Alexander Belousov – of buying information on the country’s strategic problems: mineral resources, electricity networks, oil infrastructure and hydroelectric power plants.
(Read also: Informant reveals Russian spies’ interest in Ecopetrol)
EL TIEMPO established that British and American agents alerted that Paristov and Belousov were obtaining information through encrypted messages.
Russian spies were expelled from Colombia on December 8. But the case only became known when his government decided to expel members of the Colombian embassy in Moscow.
“Since 2017, we have been following these unusual types of activities. But the government decided to proceed when it was confirmed that these were not isolated events, but rather a systematic and sustainable work that developed staff who arrived at the Russian embassy with diplomatic credentials, but with intelligence training, “Colombian officer.
Actually, It is now being verified with US agencies whether Belousov, one of those expelled, is the same spy that the Obama administration removed – at the end of 2016 – along with 34 others, for Russia’s alleged interference in the country’s presidential election.
(In context: traces of Álex Saab in Venezuelan espionage in Colombia)
At the time, there was talk of these citizens participating in “malicious cyber activities.”
Since 2017 we have been following these types of unusual activities. But the government decided to proceed when it was confirmed that there were no isolated events
Under similar suspicion, Russian diplomatic personnel were expelled from Bulgaria, Austria, Norway, Slovakia and the Czech Republic this year. But Colombia’s strategy, which Russia categorically denies, is different.
It is estimated that approximately 23 members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Bogotá, who entered in mid-2016, had atypical profiles. The foreign agencies helped to verify that they were linked to the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Central Intelligence Department (GRU).
(Read also: The secret file of the Russian espionage plot in Colombia).
Gradually, they built a solid and paid network of informants, in public and private companies, especially in multinationals that provide services to Ecopetrol.
The reason: as TIME revealed, Russia dominates Europe’s gas market, a political-economic force that would diminish if oil companies such as Colombia ventured locally into fracking. (hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction). In fact, Ecopetrol is already exploiting oil and gas in the Permian Basin of Texas using this technique.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and Iván Duque, President of Colombia.
Michail Klimentyev and Mauricio Dueñas / EFE
Political and military pursuit
Official documents from the Trump administration indicate that Russia has implemented a strategy to boycott these projects. But interest in Columbia continued.
Some of the informants were contacted in Expomilitar, where the Russians distributed business cards with military ranks and even offered to sell modern weapons.
(In context: This is how the powerful transnational mafia that haunts the registrar’s office works)
They claimed to have access to military units and key military offices. However, EL TIEMPO established that, in addition to the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI), the Army has already detected the movements of the indicated spies.
This is one of the reports produced in the United States about the Russian movements on the issue of gas and fracking.
They insisted on obtaining information from the energy and technology sector, but also asked about the political and military sector. EL TIEMPO refrains from disclosing data, as the investigation is still ongoing.
However, President Iván Duque himself stressed in the middle of the week that Colombia will not allow “any kind of interference, manipulation or intent that seeks to undermine the freedom of citizens when they go to the polls.” (In addition: Russia qualifies Colombia’s espionage allegations are unfounded)
“When the Russians who performed these tasks were moved from Bogota, they inherited the contacts and missions they reached,” explained another officer who participated in the intelligence investigation, called “Operation Enigma.”
He added that they did not leave traceability in calls to mobile phones or WhatsApp or Signal messages: “They do everything with text messages that they destroy later or in personal meetings; as in the old espionage guard. “
In addition, they managed a discreet and high-level security scheme that even forbade them to travel to certain areas of Bogota and use TransMilenio.
The Venezuelan flight
The transfer of the alleged “diplomats” was joined by an unusual increase in Russians in tourism in Colombia.
The two expelled even used to rent luxury farms on the outskirts of Bogotá and travel to Santa Marta, Cartagena and Barranquilla, allegedly on a break, to make new contacts.
(You may be interested in: Álex Saab’s journey in Venezuelan espionage in Colombia).
Interest in Colombia became apparent on June 2, when Russia demanded the approval of a humanitarian flight to remove its citizens caught in the pandemic.
Several things attracted attention. All were flown in a Venezuelan airline (Avior Airline) by three Venezuelan pilots and several of the 57 passengers said they went for a walk in cities that are not sold in international tour packages: Nemocón, Doradal, La Vega, Zipaquirá, Girardot, Chía, Copacabana and Popayán.
Russian statement on espionage.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“And about a dozen, who did not travel in a group, said they were doing tourism in Córdoba. It is possible that the interest is due to the fact that a Russian company participated in the construction of the Urrao dam and is still doing some kind of maintenance “, explained a source of information.
(On this subject: Three members of the dreaded Maduro police are arrested in Colombia)
The same official said that it is not new for Colombia to pay attention to the unusual movements of other governments. And he recalled that Migración Columbia expelled Cuban and Venezuelan citizens for espionage.
In addition, through good diplomatic offices, a generous donation from another government that wanted to provide state-of-the-art “tablets” and computers to a group of regional leaders was stopped.
Álex Saab boasted of his alleged infiltration of Colombian officials. Record various entries in Russia.
Archive / TIME
The Saab effect?
There is no comment on Venezuela’s participation in the Russian advance into Colombia. However, intelligence agents recalled that Álex Saab – the well-known character of Nicolás Maduro, a prisoner from Cape Verde – boasted of the alleged infiltration of Colombian officers.
“And Mr. Saab, like his current partner and their minor children, has multiple incomes in Russia and financial movements to and from that country.“An anti-mafia agent from the United States has been added.
So far, in addition to the expulsion of two members of the Colombian diplomatic corps from Russia – in a mirror reaction – Vladimir Putin’s government has not taken further action on Colombia’s accusations.
(Interesting: Maduro sends a curious Christmas message to Cape Verde about Saab)
But a kind of rejection, such as a cyber attack, for which the country is already protecting itself, is not ruled out.
“And we take it for granted that the Colombian spy factory will be gradually renewed. These are activities that Russia carries out in dozens of countries and ours – an ally of its rival, the United States – will not be the exception “, said one of the researchers preparing” Operation Enigma II “.
Barrinquellero and his Italian partner, model Camila Fabri, register several admissions in Russia.
Congress is looking for explanations for the plot
Authorities told EL TIEMPO that they are trying to verify whether one of the alleged Russian expelled spies is the same one who appears on the list of the 35 that the Obama administration eliminated from the United States for intervention in the 2016 elections.
Parallel, the congressmen of the second Senate Commission asked the Government to convene the External Relations Advisory Committee for this case. According to the chairman of the second commission, the conservative senator Juan Diego Gómez, in this scenario “the way in which the relationship with the Russian Federation has developed so far could be reviewed and, from there, determine the way forward”.
Senator Antonio Sanguino (Green Party) spoke in a similar way, saying that it should be established what interest Russia has in the activities of the state oil company, Ecopetrol. The government says it will not convene an advisory commission yet.
Putin’s government denies unjustified intervention
On December 22, 14 days after the expulsion of the two Russian “diplomats”, Alfonso López Caballero, Colombia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation, was summoned to the country’s Foreign Ministry.
There, Putin government officials protested against what they called “an unfounded decision by Colombia to expel two diplomats from the Russian embassy in Bogota.”
(In context: The strong “Cuban factor” in the regime of Nicolás Maduro)
According to what they told the diplomat, the Bogotá ruling does not correspond to “the friendly and mutually respectful traditional relations that exist between Russia and Colombia.” And they informed him that, in a mirror decision, the country had expelled two of the members of the Colombian diplomatic mission.
Ecopetrol production in the Permian basin of the United States, through Fracking, places it among the top 10 manufacturing areas of the company.
President Iván Duque and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that, despite this incident, “Colombia’s goal is to maintain the good level that diplomatic, trade and cooperation relations with the Russian Federation have traditionally established.“.
Then it was found out that the sanction fell on Leonardo González and Ana María Pinilla, who will arrive in Colombia in the next few hours. The expulsion of Colombians – reported by La W radio – came to expose the tense episode with the Putin government, It was to be unveiled in early January by people close to the Colombians in Moscow.
(See here all the articles of the EL TIEMPO Investigation Unit)
EL TIEMPO has been investigating the subject for months. Even the discomfort due to the landing of Russian citizens “with non-diplomatic profiles” began to be known since the government of Juan Manuel Santos.
INVESTIGATION UNIT
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