The IMSS awarded Rafael Caraveo’s companies 14 contracts

Rafael Jesús Caraveo Opengo, one of the men who appear on a scandalous video counting stashes of cash at the Senate, is a shareholder in at least 10 companies.

During President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, the IMSS awarded Rafael Caraveo ’s companies 14 contracts and one of his companies obtained almost MXN 2 million through the sale of medical equipment and cleaning supplies.

EL UNIVERSAL launched an investigation and found that Comercializadora Integral Rayfour, a company registered in Campeche, obtained 14 IMSS contracts worth MXN 1,859,337.

Each of the 14 government contracts involves other companies. The website Compranet details each of the payments received by the companies, which are between MXN 17,975 and MXN 324,000.

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Meanwhile, the IMSS said it doesn’t have a national contract with Comercializadora Integral Rayfour; however, the health institute said there could be state contracts.

EL UNIVERSAL’s investigation found that Rafael Caraveo is a shareholder at the following companies: Asesores en Seguridad Privada Preventiva Integral; Consorcio Comercial Cazela; Publicidad Corporativa y Placas de Reconocimiento, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada Microindustrial; Cenma Construcciones, Servicios y Suministros; Constructora Innovaciones en Construcción; Arquitectura e Ingeniería Península; BIO Parque Castamay; Transportes Turísticos Los Pex Diablo, and Darca.

According to legal documents, Caraveo is the majority shareholder at Comercializadora Integral Rayfour. The document indicates the company has 10 branches.

Governor Francisco Domínguez Servién reacts to shocking video

During a news conference, where President López Obrador was also present, Querétaro Governor Francisco Domínguez said he has nothing to be ashamed of or fear. He argues Lozoya’s claims that he was bribed to approve a series of reforms are false.

Francisco Domínguez said there was no need to bribe him to approve Peña Nieto’s reforms because he already planned to vote in favor of the energy reform.

The PAN Governor said the video was released "perversely” and emphasized the has nothing to hide.

He said authorities shouldn’t believe what Emilio Lozoya has to say because he is a criminal.

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Mexico’s latest corruption scandal

During one of his news conferences, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador showed a video of two men stuffing stacks of plastic-wrapped cash into a duffel bag, an incident he said was getting too little attention.

The video comes from an unknown source and lacks any context; however, the media identified the two men who appear as former Senate staffers from the conservative National Action Party.

The video had been circulating online since Sunday and already led to the firing of one of those who appear in it.

“It’s quite shocking,” López Obrador said, complaining that local television networks had underplayed it. “It shows the filth of the regime of corruption.”

Meanwhile, Querétaro Governor Francisco Domínguez said he had immediately fired his private secretary, Guillermo Gutiérrez Badillo, after seeing the video. Domínguez said he had no knowledge about his aide’s actions and encouraged him to cooperate with federal investigators.

It wasn’t clear when or where the video had been produced, or by whom, or what the money may have been for. A third person is heard in the video only as a distorted voice.

While presenting the video, López Obrador mentioned the investigation into the former Pemex chief, Emilio Lozoya. Lozoya is cooperating with the Attorney General’s Office and has filed a complaint alleging that former President Enrique Peña Nieto and his finance secretary, Luis Videgaray, ordered him to distribute millions of dollars in bribes from Odebrecht.

Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said Lozoya alleged he was instructed to give bribes to six federal lawmakers, including five senators, to guarantee their votes for a series of reforms in 2013 and 2014.

Gertz also said that Lozoya included a video with his complaint and President López Obrador said that it should be shared with the public along with Lozoya’s full statement.

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