CASO BANCO LATINO INTERNACIONAL - TESTIMONIO DEL ABOGADO ALCIDES AVILA
Q. In this instance did you have any particular occasions where you heard statements that confirmed that belief? A. That there were political motivations behind this? Q. Yes. A. Yes, I think so.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA MIAMI DIVISION
CASE NO. 95-1300-CIV-HIGHSMITH
BANCO LATINO INTERNATIONAL,a U.S. Corporation, vs. GUSTAVO A. GÓMEZ LÓPEZ, MARIA TERESA PULGAR, FOLCO FALCHI TIBERI, ELOY MONTENEGRO SALOM, GIACOMO LEÓN, PEDRO GILLY, CLAUDIA CORDERO FEBRES DE GOMEZ, and ANTONIO UGUETO TRUJILLO,
Defendants.DEPOSITION OF ALCIDES I. AVILA100 Southeast 2nd Street3400 NationsBank TowerMiami, Florida
Friday, February 18, 2000
9:42 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.
KRESSE, VALDES-PRIETO & ASSOCIATES, INC.
MIAMI FORT LAUDERDALE PALM BEACH
Q. In your opinion, based on what you observed at the time, were there political considerations that went into the filing of the lawsuit?
MR. FULTZ: Object to the form.
1 A. My experience with Venezuela is that very little happens that isn’t somewhere or another politically motivated. So I guess my answer to you is yes.
Q. In this instance did you have any particular occasions where you heard statements that confirmed that belief?
A. That there were political motivations behind this?
Q. Yes.
A. Yes, I think so.
Q. And do you recall those statements?
A. I don’t know. I mean, not specific statements. I know, for example, that there were statements that a lawsuit needed to be brought. It needed to be brought quickly because there was a need to show that something was being done by the government to deal with the bankers and other people that looted the banks. I know there was a concern in the intervention board, a strong concern, that no insider get paid. I mean, that we object to insider claims, deposits, and that they not get paid.
Q. Do you recall who made the statements that this lawsuit needs to be filed, and file it quickly?
A. It was probably more than one person, but I would imagine it would have come from Rosen or Frank Palma or Gene Propper or some of his partners whose names I don’t recall now.
Q. Do you recall Mr. Rosen ever directing Mr. Propper to file a lawsuit?
A. Yes.
Q. And did he indicate that he was under political pressure to make that happen?
A. He indicated that he was under a lot of pressure to show that a lawsuit got filed.
Q. And did he ever indicate who was pressuring him?
A. At one moment he mentioned President Caldera.
Q. So Mr. Rosen indicated to Mr. Propper that President Caldera wanted him to file that lawsuit right away?
A. I don’t remember the exact words that were used, but that was the implication.