My friend pedro y8 series#

Among the peaks of his career was his time as president of Venezolana de Exportaciones e Importaciones C.A. This despite his frequent rotation in state posts and consistent affiliation with both Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.ĭespite never having flown a plane, Yoffreda -whose specialty are communications- has jumped between top aviation posts, corporations, ministries and embassies, sustained by his proximity to the top brass. His tactic for 18 years has been to maintain a low public profile.

Giuseppe Yoffreda has been a staple in the slew of broken loyalties that has characterised ‘chavismo’. Based on a leak of documents from 2009-12, when Hugo Chávez signed multiple economic and technical cooperation agreements with China, it casts light on a key period in the development of the relationship between the leaders of the self-styled Bolivarian Revolution and the emerging world superpower. This is the second instalment of the reporting project.

My friend pedro y8 series#

However, Venezuelan government documents obtained by and analysed for the series Venezuela’s dance with China in alliance with the Latin American Centre for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), and with support from Diálogo Chino, expose the deal to the public for the first time. The purchase of the Y8s, tactical transport aircraft intended to reinforce or replace the ageing fleet of C130 Hercules in service since 1971, was the result of negotiations entangled by ultimately capricious costs for the aircraft, technical support and systems.ĭisagreements over the exchange rate of the purchases, letters of complaint between Venezuelan officials and Chinese authorities and the role of Major General Giuseppe Angelo Yoffreda Yorio - a military aviation officer who centralised purchases of arms and equipment, even before he went on to manage all Venezuela’s international purchases - were some of the subplots. He proclaimed a new victory for the revolution and internationalism in the face of another devious manoeuvre by the imperialist enemy, in its attempt to stifle sovereign Venezuela.īut behind the president's epic lay the harsh reality. Nonetheless, that was not going to deprive Chávez of the opportunity to build a story. The recording, of domestic quality, could do little in the darkness of the Aragua night. Images of the aircrafts’ arrival were running on the screens but they weren’t clear. 'The gringos didn't want to sell us the spare parts for the Hercules, we almost didn't have any planes,' the commander's voice was heard on the radio and television network, referring to US-made planes.

Barely a month later he was to give his last public speech, designating Nicolás Maduro as his successor as he left for Havana to fight, unsuccessfully, for his life.īut on this occasion he had something to celebrate and share with his people. He had a short future and perhaps he knew it. A month earlier, Chávez had just won what would be his last electoral contest. 'These planes left China, crossed Africa, passed through Brazil and landed in Maracay,' said the late Hugo Chávez, describing the route of two Y8 four-engine planes that had landed the night before at the Libertador Air Base, some 100 kilometres west of Caracas.