{"id":2430,"date":"2017-08-06T12:58:56","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T12:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armando.info\/?p=2430"},"modified":"2017-08-06T12:58:56","modified_gmt":"2017-08-06T12:58:56","slug":"the-military-man-that-signed-the-most-contracts-with-the-ministry-of-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/the-military-man-that-signed-the-most-contracts-with-the-ministry-of-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The Military Man that Signed the Most Contracts with the Ministry of Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \r\nthe history of commercial relationships between private companies and the \r\nVenezuelan State, Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS could pass unnoticed. But it should \r\nnot. In the National Register of Contractors (RNC), this company appears as the \r\none entering into the most contracts with the State, 406 in total. One of its \r\nshareholders was Jos\u00e9 Gregorio Vicari M\u00e9ndez, a traumatologist specialized in \r\nhand surgery and assimilated by the Army.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As \r\na military officer and public employee, under article 34 of the Law of Statutes \r\nin Public Office and article 145 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic \r\nof Venezuela, Vicari M\u00e9ndez is barred from\" entering into contracts by himself, \r\nintermediaries or on behalf of another with the Republic, the states, \r\nmunicipalities and other state or private legal entities\". He did it \r\nthough.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-embed-script-7LrifT wp-block-lazyblock-embed-script\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/embeds\/355639655\/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-kQXIANPnTfRlxmRgUt1o&amp;show_recommendations=true\" data-auto-height=\"true\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.7080062794348508\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"doc_32967\" width=\"null\" height=\"null\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(\"script\"); scribd.type = \"text\/javascript\"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = \"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/javascripts\/embed_code\/inject.js\"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();<\/script><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \r\n406 contracts of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS, one of the biggest beneficiaries of its \r\ntrade, were found after systematizing all the public information of the RNC in a \r\ndatabase prepared by Armando.Info. And they can also be compared with the list \r\ndisplayed on the RNC portal, which was available for public enquiries until June \r\n30, 2017.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An \r\nofficial imported material of osteosynthesis, prostheses, plates, screws, nails \r\nand other supplies for trauma interventions with preferential U.S. dollars, on a \r\nregular basis, and then sold them to the Ministry of Health, foundations and \r\nentities attached to other ministries, Hospital Universitario de Caracas \r\n(University Hospital where the specialist works since 2003), insurance \r\ncompanies, and private health centers.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sudden Earnings<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Established \r\non October 16, 2002, in Caracas, Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS, C.A's commercial \r\nactivities began in 2005. The following year, its financial statements showed \r\nrobust revenues, and that was thus maintained for five additional \r\nyears.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \r\n2008, the company had what could be one of the best performances, because it \r\nsigned 217 contracts with the Ministry of Health between August and December, \r\nduring the management of Jes\u00fas Mantilla, another officer of the Bolivarian \r\nNational Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>In addition to obtaining numerous contracts, they also obtained preferential dollars<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vicari \r\nM\u00e9ndez joined the company in June 2005, as medical director, but was already \r\nlinked to it since its inception. Three years earlier, he had contributed 1 \r\nmillion bolivars in cash (check) to complete the initial capital of the company. \r\nIn 2008, he became a partner by acquiring 50% of the shares and becoming the \r\nexecutive manager. The other half was in the hands of Decia Morelia Duque \r\nMatheus, who joined the same year as him to serve as administration manager, and \r\nin 2006, she became a shareholder.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Revenues \r\ndeclined in 2010 due to falling Venezuelan oil prices. But in the next four \r\nyears, it managed to quintuple its revenues. In fact, from March 2009 to \r\nNovember 2011, Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS imported medical and surgical instruments \r\nfrom Brazil, Germany and the United States for US $ 276,000, as evidenced in the \r\nrecords of Import Genius, a database of international imports and exports , \r\nwhich is updated with the United States Customs \r\nDepartment.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \r\naddition to obtaining numerous contracts, they also obtained preferential U.S. \r\ndollars. Until 2012, the Foreign Exchange Administration Commission (Cadivi) \r\n\u2014created in 2003 by the government of Hugo Ch\u00e1vez to govern the exchange control \r\nimplemented that year, which is still in effect under the name of Cencoex\u2014 paid \r\nthis company $ 383,288.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"kb-gallery-wrap-id-_mnoPxp-hl alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-slider kb-gallery-id-_mnoPxp-hl kb-gallery-caption-style-below kb-gallery-filter-none kb-gallery-magnific-init\" data-image-filter=\"none\" data-lightbox-caption=\"true\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-carousel splide kt-carousel-container-dotstyle-dark kt-carousel-arrowstyle-whiteondark kt-carousel-dotstyle-dark kb-slider-group-arrow kb-slider-arrow-position-center\" data-slider-anim-speed=\"400\" data-slider-scroll=\"1\" data-slider-arrows=\"true\" data-slider-fade=\"true\" data-slider-dots=\"true\" data-slider-type=\"slider\" data-slider-hover-pause=\"false\" data-slider-auto=\"\" data-slider-speed=\"7000\" data-show-pause-button=\"false\"><div class=\"splide__track\"><ul class=\"kt-blocks-carousel-init kb-blocks-slider splide__list\"><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1.png\" data-description=\"The amounts prior to 2008 have been restated according to the monetary conversion denominated Bolivar Fuerte\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1146\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1.png\" data-id=\"52145\" class=\"wp-image-52145 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1.png 1146w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1-700x405.png 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-1-768x444.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1146px) 100vw, 1146px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">The amounts prior to 2008 have been restated according to the monetary conversion denominated Bolivar Fuerte<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2.jpg\" data-description=\"Source: Financial statements of the company.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1636\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2.jpg\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2.jpg\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2.jpg\" data-id=\"52146\" class=\"wp-image-52146 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2.jpg 1636w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2-700x876.jpg 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2-768x961.jpg 768w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2-1227x1536.jpg 1227w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2-1235x1546.jpg 1235w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-2-700x876@2x.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1636px) 100vw, 1636px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Source: Financial statements of the company.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Part and Parcel<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \r\nMinistry of Health was the state entity with which VDS signed more contracts, \r\nbut did not compromised exclusively with them. VDS was also a supplier of \r\nHospital Universitario de Caracas (it entered into at least five contracts \r\nbetween March 2009 and August 2010), PDVSA, the Ministries of Communes, \r\nAgriculture and Lands, and Public Works and Housing, the Central Bank of \r\nVenezuela and the government foundations known as Negra Hip\u00f3lita, Pueblo \r\nSoberano, Vicente Salias and Oro Negro. The latter is attached to the Ministry \r\nof Energy and Oil. Since 2008, it acquires medical and surgical material for \r\nMisi\u00f3n Barrio Adentro (the flagship program created by the late President Hugo \r\nCh\u00e1vez in 2003) and manages medical aid. Since 2008, one of the founding members \r\nof VDS has been working there, Rayco Antonio Santana Jim\u00e9nez, who after eight \r\nyears with Oro Negro was appointed Administration and Financing Director of the \r\nfoundation, a position published in the Official Gazette of January 4, \r\n2017.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>It is not common for a doctor to have his own importing company of inputs, whereby he commercializes the material that he uses in routine surgeries.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vicari \r\nM\u00e9ndez, for his part, works at Hospital Universitario de Caracas since 2003. He \r\nis currently an associate physician of the Hand Surgery service at the Hospital, \r\nwhere he usually goes on Mondays and Fridays to fulfill his obligations. The \r\ndoctors on the 6th floor regard him as another associate, who also works in \r\nanother hospital and has a distribution company, \"that\u2019s what they say,\" says a \r\nspecialist.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It \r\nis not uncommon for a physician to have his own importing company of supplies, \r\nused to sell the material that he uses in routine surgeries. Consulted \r\ntraumatologists, with decades in practice, agreed that it is not the \r\n\"ought-to-be.\" While the younger ones studying some specialty, do not regard \r\nthat as something bad but as a possibility for extra income in a country \r\ndominated by three-digit inflation. Although the truth is that private importers \r\nof medical supplies have been downsized and replaced by Chinese companies that \r\nnegotiate direct sales with the Venezuelan government. VDS could be an \r\nexample.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vicari, \r\nas an Army official, is also a medical doctor at the Vicente Salias Sanoja \r\nMilitary Hospital, located inside Fort Tiuna, the most important military \r\nfacility in Caracas, southwest of the city. And since 2014, he presides over the \r\nVenezuelan Society of Hand Surgery. In addition, he practices private medicine \r\nin two clinics that have also been VDS clients.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As \r\nan active soldier, his service record shows several awards from the Health \r\nDepartment of the FANB (2011), the President\u2019sHonor Guard (2007), the Naval \r\nHealth Service, and others, included in his professional profile \r\n.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \r\n2012, Defense Minister Henry Rangel Silva promoted him to the rank of Major of \r\nthe Army, and four years later, in 2016, current incumbent Vladimir Padrino \r\nL\u00f3pez promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel, both in the category of \r\nassimilated.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>\"If I have a patient with a requirement, if there is no material, but I know where there is, I look for it. What should I do? Should I not operate?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Article \r\n91 of the Organic Law of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic \r\nand the National Tax Inspection System provides for in paragraph 4 that the \r\nconclusion of contracts by officials, intermediaries or on behalf of another, \r\nwith entities and bodies of the national, state, municipal or district public \r\nauthority may generate administrative responsibility. Vicari M\u00e9ndez did not \r\nconsider that legal advice was necessary when he decided to join a state \r\ncontractor company as an official.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His \r\nstory, as he describes it, is that of a doctor who wanted to participate in a \r\n\"small family business, in a team of entrepreneurship\" to have an extra income. \r\nHe assures that all company procedures were legal, transparent, with no \r\nirregularities and, hence, he saw no problem in being both a part of it and a \r\nmilitary man.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His \r\nadmission as a medical director was due to the company's need to process the \r\nhealth registry to import and sell the medical supplies and surgical instruments \r\nthey would use for surgeries. Vicari M\u00e9ndez does not consider that there is an \r\nethical conflict or irregularity in his company selling the material to the \r\nhospital where he worked. \"That depends on the eye of the beholder. If I have a \r\npatient with a requirement, if there is no material, but I know where there is, \r\nI look for it. What should I do? Should I not operate?,\" says the \r\nspecialist.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"kb-gallery-wrap-id-_5vcaxz-Nl alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-slider kb-gallery-id-_5vcaxz-Nl kb-gallery-caption-style-below kb-gallery-filter-none kb-gallery-magnific-init\" data-image-filter=\"none\" data-lightbox-caption=\"true\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-carousel splide kt-carousel-container-dotstyle-dark kt-carousel-arrowstyle-whiteondark kt-carousel-dotstyle-dark kb-slider-group-arrow kb-slider-arrow-position-center\" data-slider-anim-speed=\"400\" data-slider-scroll=\"1\" data-slider-arrows=\"true\" data-slider-fade=\"true\" data-slider-dots=\"true\" data-slider-type=\"slider\" data-slider-hover-pause=\"false\" data-slider-auto=\"\" data-slider-speed=\"7000\" data-show-pause-button=\"false\"><div class=\"splide__track\"><ul class=\"kt-blocks-carousel-init kb-blocks-slider splide__list\"><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3.png\" data-description=\"In 2007, Vicari M\u00e9ndez was promoted to assimilated Captain of the Army. The following year, he acquired 50% of the shares of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1234\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3.png\" data-id=\"52147\" class=\"wp-image-52147 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3.png 800w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3-700x1080.png 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-3-768x1185.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">In 2007, Vicari M\u00e9ndez was promoted to assimilated Captain of the Army. The following year, he acquired 50% of the shares of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4.png\" data-description=\"In 2007, Vicari M\u00e9ndez was promoted to assimilated Captain of the Army. The following year, he acquired 50% of the shares of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4.png\" data-id=\"52148\" class=\"wp-image-52148 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4.png 800w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4-700x1077.png 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-4-768x1182.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">In 2007, Vicari M\u00e9ndez was promoted to assimilated Captain of the Army. The following year, he acquired 50% of the shares of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5.png\" data-description=\"In 2012, he was promoted to the assimilated rank of Senior Officer of the Army\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1236\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5.png\" data-id=\"52149\" class=\"wp-image-52149 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5.png 800w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5-700x1082.png 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-5-768x1187.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">In 2012, he was promoted to the assimilated rank of Senior Officer of the Army<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6.png\" data-description=\"In 2016, the Minister of Defense, General Vladimir Padrino L\u00f3pez, signed Vicari M\u00e9ndez&#039;s promotion to Lieutenant Colonel\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1035\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6.png\" data-id=\"52150\" class=\"wp-image-52150 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6.png 800w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6-700x906.png 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-6-768x994.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">In 2016, the Minister of Defense, General Vladimir Padrino L\u00f3pez, signed Vicari M\u00e9ndez's promotion to Lieutenant Colonel<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Missing from the System<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While \r\nbeing one of the companies that signed more contracts, VDS also happened to be \r\none of the providers that inherited debts with the office of Health. It was not \r\nthe only one. Vicari recalls that around 791 companies are in the same \r\nsituation, to which the Ministry does not pay for having no budget. That was the \r\nresponse the company obtained in several meetings with representatives of the \r\noffice.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Failure \r\nto pay by the Ministry accumulated a debt from 2011 to 2013 that amounted to Bs. \r\n17,369,540. However, based on the company's financial statements, included in \r\nthe record on file in the First Commercial Registry of Caracas, in 2014, a \r\nportion equal to approximately 7 million bolivars had to be \r\nhonored.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proveedur\u00eda \r\nM\u00e9dica VDS was disqualified to enter into contracts with the State for failing \r\nto update its data in the RNC. The company\u2019s attorney, Erwin Dugarte, affirms \r\nthat it has been active, selling to private individuals the little stock left \r\n(very specific prostheses), because they cannot import material. As to the debt \r\nof the Ministry of Health, he does not know the status. \"I am in charge of the \r\nlegal aspects, I know nothing about that\".<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>\"I left that because it was not worth staying there, it was not worth affecting my career. I am totally disconnected\"<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vicari \r\nM\u00e9ndez resigned his position as executive manager in February 2014. Three years \r\nafter making that decision, he assures not knowing whether the company is \r\noperative or else. After all this time, he says he expects to have no problems \r\nassociated with his work in the company, and he clarifies that he has not \r\nobtained any benefits from it or enriched by his profits. He affirms that his \r\nhome is rented and has few assets.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\"I \r\nleft that because it was not worth staying there, it was not worth affecting my \r\ncareer. I am totally disconnected,\" says the assimilated physician. He \r\ndisregards the possibility of the company being favored with contracts for \r\nhaving a military man among the directors.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vicari \r\nsold his shares to Decia Duque, with whom he maintains a family bond; they both \r\nhave a son in common. Duque is the current managing director, with 100% of the \r\nshares. Despite being willing to talk about the company initially, she finally \r\nrejected the interview requested and referred any concerns to her lawyer Erwin \r\nDugarte.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"kb-gallery-wrap-id-_aFgOC1-AV alignnone wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-ul kb-gallery-non-static kb-gallery-type-slider kb-gallery-id-_aFgOC1-AV kb-gallery-caption-style-below kb-gallery-filter-none kb-gallery-magnific-init\" data-image-filter=\"none\" data-lightbox-caption=\"true\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-carousel splide kt-carousel-container-dotstyle-dark kt-carousel-arrowstyle-whiteondark kt-carousel-dotstyle-dark kb-slider-group-arrow kb-slider-arrow-position-center\" data-slider-anim-speed=\"400\" data-slider-scroll=\"1\" data-slider-arrows=\"true\" data-slider-fade=\"true\" data-slider-dots=\"true\" data-slider-type=\"slider\" data-slider-hover-pause=\"false\" data-slider-auto=\"\" data-slider-speed=\"7000\" data-show-pause-button=\"false\"><div class=\"splide__track\"><ul class=\"kt-blocks-carousel-init kb-blocks-slider splide__list\"><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7.jpg\" data-description=\"Vicari M\u00e9ndez did not disconnect completely from the company. Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS supported the congresses organized by Vicari M\u00e9ndez as president of the Venezuelan Society of Hand Surgery.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1321\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7.jpg\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7.jpg\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7.jpg\" data-id=\"52151\" class=\"wp-image-52151 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7-700x452.jpg 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7-1536x991.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7-1235x797.jpg 1235w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-7-700x452@2x.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Vicari M\u00e9ndez did not disconnect completely from the company. Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS supported the congresses organized by Vicari M\u00e9ndez as president of the Venezuelan Society of Hand Surgery.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8.jpg\" data-description=\"Vicari M\u00e9ndez did not disconnect completely from the company. Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS supported the congresses organized by Vicari M\u00e9ndez as president of the Venezuelan Society of Hand Surgery.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1305\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8.jpg\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8.jpg\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8.jpg\" data-id=\"52152\" class=\"wp-image-52152 skip-lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8-700x446.jpg 700w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8-768x489.jpg 768w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8-1536x979.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8-1235x787.jpg 1235w, https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-8-700x446@2x.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Vicari M\u00e9ndez did not disconnect completely from the company. Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS supported the congresses organized by Vicari M\u00e9ndez as president of the Venezuelan Society of Hand Surgery.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"kb-slide-item kb-gallery-slide-item splide__slide\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item\"><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item-inner\"><figure class=\"kb-gallery-figure kb-gallery-item-has-link kadence-blocks-gallery-item-has-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-9.png\" data-description=\"In March 2014 the director of VDS, Decia Duque, reported on the debt that Min-Salud had with them and other providers of medical supplies.\" class=\"kb-gallery-item-link\"   role=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><div class=\"kb-gal-image-radius\"><div class=\"kb-gallery-image-contain kadence-blocks-gallery-intrinsic kb-gallery-image-ratio-inherit kb-has-image-ratio-inherit\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"404\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-9.png\"   alt=\"\" data-full-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-9.png\" data-light-image=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/06082017-9.png\" data-id=\"52153\" class=\"wp-image-52153 skip-lazy\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence-blocks-gallery-item__caption\">In March 2014 the director of VDS, Decia Duque, reported on the debt that Min-Salud had with them and other providers of medical supplies.<\/div><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dugarte \r\njustifies the 406 contracts subscribed by VDS with the argument that the company \r\nwas the \"only one\" offering that type of traumatology medical and surgical \r\nsupplies at that moment. Therefore, \"it solved a problem that it can no longer \r\nsolve because it does not have stock\". But it is not remembered like this within \r\nthe guild of importers of medical supplies.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>\"He is an assimilated, thus, he can do whatever he wants because he is not an active military officer\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \r\nlawyer dismisses any irregularity linked to the presence of a military officer \r\nin the company's board of directors while he was a state contractor. \"Dr. Vicari \r\nis not a career military man but an assimilated because he is a doctor. That has \r\nnothing to do with it. When he started selling his equipment, I removed him from \r\nthe company in 2014. Everyone can have whichever company. He is an assimilated, \r\nthus, he can do whatever he wants because he is not an active military officer. \r\nAnd he adds, \"The assimilated officer is totally separated from the active one. \r\nThey are two completely different things. Active military officers handle \r\nweapons. The assimilated do not handle weapons, they are professionals of any \r\nrace who render services to the Armed Forces,\" says \r\nDugarte.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, \r\nthe financial statements of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS contradict him. The company \r\nsold supplies to the state while the assimilated military man was in the board \r\nof directors. Articles 89 and 92 provide for the assimilated and include them \r\nwithin the classification of military personnel, and the Organic Law of the \r\nBolivarian National Armed Force as well.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignleft\"><blockquote><p>\"The assimilated personnel has the same obligations with respect to the Corruption Law,\" says Roc\u00edo San Miguel<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based \r\non above articles of the Law, lawyer Roc\u00edo San Miguel, head of the civil \r\nassociation Citizen Control of Security, Defense and National Armed Forces, \r\nassures that the assimilated do not only form part of the National Armed Forces \r\n(FAN), but have the same obligations and limitations regarding the FAN, as any \r\nmilitary member, \"including the prohibition of contracting with the State, \r\nwhether directly or through an intermediary. The assimilated personnel have the \r\nsame obligations with respect to the Corruption Law,\u201d she \r\nsaid.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \r\nany case, the promotions received in 2012 and 2016 account for its active \r\nnature, and in 2012, Vicari was still part of the company.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After \r\nresigning their actions in VDS, Vicari and Duque have not been kept completely \r\naway from the workplace. VDS has sponsored and supported the congresses \r\norganized by the Venezuelan Society of Hand Surgery in 2014 and 2015, which \r\nVicari has presided over for three years. The event that was scheduled for last \r\nJuly of the current year, with invited foreign doctors (as in previous ones) was \r\nsuspended. The society \"is broken,\" says Vicari.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \r\nhistory of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS containing public information available online \r\nvia the web portal of the National Register of Contractors, disappeared on \r\nFriday, June 30. It remained visible and available for public enquiry during the \r\nfive years the company remained disqualified (since 2012), until its search was \r\nblocked in the system. It is no longer possible to see even the card with the \r\ngeneral information of the company.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wps-pgfw-pdf-generate-icon__wrapper-frontend pgfw-icon-display pgfw-icon-display--default\" style=\"--pgfw-icon-justify:center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430\/?action=genpdf&#038;id=2430\" class=\"pgfw-single-pdf-download-button pgfw-single-pdf-download-button--default pgfw-single-pdf-download-button--icon-only\" title=\"Generate PDF\" style=\"--pgfw-icon-width:25px;--pgfw-icon-height:45px;\" aria-label=\"Download PDF\"><span class=\"pgfw-single-pdf-download-button__media\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><img src=\"https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-generator-for-wp\/admin\/src\/images\/PDF_Tray.svg\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\"><\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jos\u00e9 Gregorio Vicari M\u00e9ndez, an assimilated physician of the Bolivarian Army, was the successful owner of Proveedur\u00eda M\u00e9dica VDS, a medical supplies company that signed hundreds of contracts with the health office during the oil boom. This finding is part of a database developed by Armando.info with the public information contained in the National Register of Contractors. Although the Organic Law of the Office of the Comptroller states that an active official could have administrative responsibility if entering into contracts with the State, Vicari M\u00e9ndez, who is no longer a member of the company, presents an argument in his defend that goes beyond the tragedy of Venezuela's shortages. \"If I have a patient with a requirement, if there is no material, but I know where there is, I look for it. What should I do? Should I not operate?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":52154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2387,2210],"tags":[595,372,306,593,258],"pais":[4216],"serie":[],"localizacion":[4227],"ppma_author":[2373],"class_list":["post-2430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internacionales","category-investigacion","tag-datos","tag-medicamentos","tag-militares","tag-rnc","tag-salud","pais-venezuela-en"],"acf":{"reportage-top-html":""},"views":1549,"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2387,"label":"Internacionales"},{"value":2210,"label":"Investigacion"}],"post_tag":[{"value":595,"label":"Datos"},{"value":372,"label":"Medicamentos"},{"value":306,"label":"Militares"},{"value":593,"label":"RNC"},{"value":258,"label":"Salud"}],"pais":[{"value":4216,"label":"Venezuela"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/armando.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/portada-vicari.png",1920,784,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"ARMANDO.INFO","author_link":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/author\/armando2\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2387,"name":"Internacionales","slug":"internacionales","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2387,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":127,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0","cat_ID":2387,"category_count":127,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Internacionales","category_nicename":"internacionales","category_parent":0},{"term_id":2210,"name":"Investigacion","slug":"investigacion","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2210,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":670,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0","cat_ID":2210,"category_count":670,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Investigacion","category_nicename":"investigacion","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":595,"name":"Datos","slug":"datos","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":595,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0"},{"term_id":372,"name":"Medicamentos","slug":"medicamentos","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":372,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0"},{"term_id":306,"name":"Militares","slug":"militares","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":306,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0"},{"term_id":593,"name":"RNC","slug":"rnc","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":593,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0"},{"term_id":258,"name":"Salud","slug":"salud","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":258,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":25,"filter":"raw","menu_order":"0"}],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-24 02:23:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"authors":[{"term_id":2373,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"patricia-marcano","display_name":"PATRICIA MARCANO","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"pais","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pais?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"localizacion","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/localizacion?post=2430"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/armando.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}