What is the background of the company that provided the software to Nicolás Maduro's regime for its "alleged" (for the opposition) electoral fraud?
EX-CLE Biometric Solutions, with offices in Caracas, Asunción and Buenos Aires, was sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for providing software used by Nicolás Maduro's regime during the presidential elections that saw Maduro win his third term in Venezuela.
Founded in 1998 in Argentina by Luis San Agustín, the company focuses on biometrics, digital financial services, election automation, document management and digitization, as reported on its website. In addition to its headquarters in Buenos Aires, it has branches in Caracas, Venezuela, and Asunción, Paraguay.
In December 2020, the US government sanctioned the Venezuelan branch and two of its representatives "for the support provided to the illegitimate Maduro regime during the fraudulent elections" of that year, as stated by the then US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
Venezuelan subsidiary EX-CLE SOLUCIONES BIOMETRICAS CA, based in Caracas, has been directly linked to Nicolás Maduro, with assets in the United States frozen. According to the US Treasury Department, the company is accused of supporting the illegitimate president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, by providing goods and services used to carry out the fraudulent parliamentary elections of December 6, 2020.
The then US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, emphasized that The Maduro regime's efforts to manipulate elections demonstrate its contempt for the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people.
EX-CLE CA also provided electoral hardware and software to the Maduro regime, with contracts worth millions of dollars. The charges include aiding the National Electoral Council forpurchase of thousands of voting machines from China, with payments sent through the Russian financial system. Pompeo stated that the machines were sent via Iran using sanctioned airlines such as Mahan Air and Conviasa.
EX-CLE's offices in Caracas opened in 2004, and in 2009 the company developed the tax collection system for the mayor's office of the municipality of Libertador. In 2012, it implemented the identity validation system for the Venezuelan presidential elections and in 2016 it created BioPos, a tool to pay with your fingerprint in stores in Venezuela.
But who are the company's main customers?
The National Electoral Council (CNE), the Bank of Venezuela, the Banco del Tesoro and the Banco Bicentenario del Pueblo, all in Venezuela; the National Administration of Social Security (ANSES), the Social Service of Public Employees of Mendoza, the Ministry of Security and Civil Registry of the Province of Mendoza and the Andreani company, in Argentina; the Ministry and the Government of Panama to close on a high note.
Interesting to learn that San Agustín has dual Argentine and Italian nationality and is co-director, director and majority shareholder of EX-CLE.
Much more interesting to learn that the United States ensures that San Augustin is associated with another sanctioned in the past by Washington, Carlos Enrique Quintero, substitute rector of the National Electoral Council and member of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. For the US Treasury, Quintero is primarily responsible for purchasing and"election corruption activities" within the electoral council on behalf of the EX-CLE.
