In addition to President Gustavo Petro, the United States Treasury Department included several members of his inner circle on the so-called Clinton list. Among them is the Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti, who spoke about the effects that this measure has had on his personal finances.
(Read more: The hidden cost of politics: how electoral financing affects taxes)
In dialogue with the ‘Mañanas Blu’ program, the official pointed out that until the news was announced he was aware of the magnitude of this sanction. “They blocked my credit card. I’m bad and beaten,” Indian.
Benedetti reported that his bank cards were blocked shortly after the measure was reported. This is because the companies (MasterCard and Visa) are based in the United States.
Likewise, He stressed that he is receiving advice from a legal team to inform yourself about these retaliations and know what to do to respond to them.
“I cannot do business with any American company or anything that has to do with the United States,” said the Mininterior, who also emphasized that “It’s one thing to be banned from going to Disney and another thing to be messed with Osama Bin Laden.”
Armando Benedetti, Minister of the Interior.
(Read more: Petro responds to Trump sanctions: ‘I have nothing to freeze in the US.’)
Regarding the reasons why he was included on the list, he assured: “Close sources in the United States have confirmed to me that it was because of the statements I made. Among other things, they are wrong even in that, because I have never been offensive either against President Trump or against the United States.”
It is worth remembering that, along with Benedetti and Petro, the US authorities included Clinton on the list. the first lady, Verónica Alcocer, and the son of the Colombian president, Nicolás Petro.
Upon your addition to this registry, all of your assets and property located in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. citizens are blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac, for its acronym in English). Additionally, any entity that is owned, directly or indirectly, individually or collectively, 50% or more, by one or more blocked persons is also disqualified.
In its statement, the Treasury Department explained that its connection occurs “for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material or technological support, or goods or services in support of Gustavo Petro”entering the category of “facilitators.”
(Read more: Trump attacked Petro after his inclusion on the Clinton List: what did he say?)
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