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A Colombian executive admitted 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 advisor to the government of the powerful Vladimir Putin.
You no longer remember if the Russian approached him in an academic or economic forum but, little by little, he approached him through casual encounters and invitations to restaurants and meetings, where the Muscovite was shown as an influential and wealthy man.
(We invite you to read: The secret dossier of the Russian espionage plot in Colombia)
But the so-called business advisor He ended up being one of the two spies that the Colombian government expelled, on December 8, in a diplomatic decision with no precedents that further strains relations with the Kremlin, battered 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 strategic issues in the country: mineral resources, electricity grids, oil infrastructure and hydroelectric plants.
(Also read: Informant reveals interest of Russian spies in Ecopetrol)
EL TIEMPO established that British and American agents alerted that Paristov and Belousov were getting information through encrypted messages.
The 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 tracking these kinds of unusual 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 personnel who arrived at the Russian embassy with diplomatic credentials, but with intelligence training, “a Colombian officer.
In fact, Now it is being verified with United States agencies if Belousov, one of those expelled, is the same spy that the Obama administration removed –at the end of 2016– along with 34 others, for the alleged interference of Russia in the presidential elections of that country.
(In context: Álex Saab’s trail in Venezuelan espionage to Colombia)
At that time there was talk of the participation of these citizens in “malicious cyber activities”.
Since 2017 we have been tracking these kinds of unusual activities. But the Government decided to proceed when it was confirmed that they were not isolated events
Under similar suspicions, this year Russian diplomatic personnel were also expelled from Bulgaria, Austria, Norway, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. But the strategy in Colombia, which Russia categorically denies, is different.
It is estimated that about 23 members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Bogotá, who entered since mid-2016, had atypical profiles. Foreign agencies helped verify that they were linked to the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Central Intelligence Department (GRU).
(Also read: The secret dossier of the Russian espionage plot in Colombia).
Little by little, 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 revealed by TIME, Russia dominates the gas market in Europe, a political-economic strength that would diminish if oil companies, such as the Colombian one, ventured locally into ‘fracking’ (hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and gas). In fact, Ecopetrol already exploits oil and gas in the Permian (Permian) Basin in Texas, using this technique.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and Iván Duque, President of Colombia.
Michail Klimentyev and Mauricio Dueñas / EFE
Political and military tracking
Official documents of the Trump government indicate that Russia has been deploying a strategy to boycott these projects. But the interest in Colombia went further.
Some of the informants were contacted in Expomilitar, where the Russians handed out 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 operates)
They claimed that they had access to military establishments and key military offices. However, EL TIEMPO established that, in addition to the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI), the Army had already detected the movements of the indicated spies.
This is one of the reports produced in the United States on Russian movements on the issue of gas and fracking.
They insisted on obtaining information from the energy and technology sector, but also inquired about the political and military sector. EL TIEMPO refrains from revealing data, because the investigation is still ongoing.
However, President Iván Duque himself pointed out in the middle of the week that Colombia will not allow “any type of interference, manipulation or intention that tries to undermine the freedom of citizens when they go to the polls.” (In addition: Russia qualifies Colombia’s espionage accusations are unfounded)
“When the Russians who carried out these tasks were moved from Bogotá, they inherited the contacts and missions to which they arrived,” explained another officer who participated in the intelligence investigation, called ‘Operation Enigma’.
And he added that they did not leave traceability in calls to cell phones or WhatsApp or Signal messages: “They do everything with written messages that they later destroy or in personal encounters; as in the old guard of espionage ”.
In addition, they managed a discreet and high-level security scheme that even prohibited them from moving around some sectors of Bogotá and using TransMilenio.
The Venezuelan flight
The transfer of suspected ‘diplomats’ was joined by an unusual increase in Russians in tourism plans in Colombia.
The two expelled even used to rent luxurious farms on the outskirts of Bogotá and travel to Santa Marta, Cartagena and Barranquilla, supposedly on a break, to make new contacts.
(You may be interested: The trail of Álex Saab in Venezuelan espionage to Colombia).
Interest in Colombia became visible on June 2, when Russia asked for a humanitarian flight to be approved to remove its nationals, trapped by the pandemic.
Several things attracted attention. They were all flown in a Venezuelan airline (Avior Airline), by three Venezuelan pilots and Several of the 57 passengers stated that they were out for a walk in cities that are not sold in international tourist packages: Nemocón, Doradal, La Vega, Zipaquirá, Girardot, Chía, Copacabana and Popayán.
Russian statement on espionage.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia
“And about a dozen, who were not traveling in a group, said they were tourism in Córdoba. It is possible that the interest is due to the fact that a Russian firm participated in the construction of the Urrao dam and is still doing some type of maintenance, ”explained an intelligence source.
(On the subject: Three members of the fearsome Maduro Police are arrested in Colombia)
That same official said that it is not new for Colombia to be alert to unusual movements by other governments. And he recalled that Migración Colombia has expelled Cuban and Venezuelan citizens for espionage.
In addition, through good diplomatic offices, a generous donation from another government that wanted to give away ‘tablets’ and state-of-the-art computers to a group of regional leaders was stopped.
Álex Saab bragged about his alleged infiltration of Colombian officials. Register various entries to Russia.
Archive / TIME
The Saab effect?
On the participation of Venezuela in the Russian advance in Colombia, there are no comments. However, intelligence agents recalled that Álex Saab – the noted figurehead of Nicolás Maduro, imprisoned in Cape Verde – was bragging about the alleged infiltration of officers in Colombia.
“And Mr. Saab, like his current partner and their minor children, record multiple income to Russia and financial movements to and from that country”Added an anti-mafia agent from the United States.
For now, in addition to the expulsion of two members of the Colombian diplomatic corps in Russia – in a mirror reaction – the government of Vladimir Putin has not taken additional measures on the allegations of Colombia.
(Of interest: Maduro sends a curious Christmas message to Cape Verde about Saab)
But some kind of blowback is not ruled out, such as a cyber attack, for which the country is already shielding itself.
“And we take it for granted that the spy plant in Colombia will be gradually renewed. These are activities that Russia is deploying in dozens of countries and ours – an ally of its archrival, the United States – is not going to be the exception, “said one of the researchers who is preparing ‘Operation Enigma II’.
The barrinquellero and his Italian partner, the model Camila Fabri, register several admissions to Russia.
Congress seeks explanations about the plot
Authorities told EL TIEMPO that they are trying to verify if one of the accused Russian spies expelled is the same one that appears in the list of 35 that the Obama government removed from the United States for interference in the 2016 elections.
Parallel, congressmen from the Second Committee of the Senate asked the Government to convene the Advisory Committee on Foreign Relations for this case. According to the president of the second commission, the conservative senator Juan Diego Gómez, in this scenario “the way in which the relationship with the Russian Federation has been carried out until now could be reviewed and, from there, determine the way forward.”
Senator Antonio Sanguino (Green Party) spoke in a similar vein, saying that it should be established what interest Russia has in the activities of the state-owned oil company, Ecopetrol. The government says that, for now, it will not summon the advisory commission.
Putin’s government denies undue interference
On December 22, 14 days after the expulsion of the two Russian “diplomats”, Alfonso López Caballero, extraordinary ambassador and plenipotentiary of Colombia in the Russian Federation, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of that country.
There, Putin government officials protested what they called “an unfounded decision by Colombia to expel two diplomats from the Russian embassy in Bogotá.”
(In context: The powerful ‘Cuban factor’ in the Nicolás Maduro regime)
According to what they told the diplomat, Bogotá’s determination does not correspond to “the traditionally friendly and mutually respectful relations that exist between Russia and Colombia.” And they informed him that, in a mirror decision, that country expelled two of the members of the Colombian diplomatic mission.
Ecopetrol’s production in the Permian basin of the United States, through Fracking, places it among the first 10 producing fields of the company.
President Iván Duque and the Foreign Ministry assured that, despite this incident, the “Colombia’s purpose is to maintain the good level that diplomatic, commercial and cooperation relations with the Russian Federation have traditionally set.”.
Then it was learned that the sanction fell on Leonardo González and Ana María Pinilla, who would be arriving in Colombia in the next few hours. The expulsion of the Colombians – reported by La W radio – ended up exposing the tense episode with the Putin government, It was to be revealed in early January by people close to Colombians in Moscow.
(See here all the articles of the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO)
EL TIEMPO had already been investigating the subject for months. Even the discomfort due to the landing of Russian citizens “with non-diplomatic profiles” began to be known from the government of Juan Manuel Santos.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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On twitter: @UinvestigativeAND
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