Minister Gabriel Espinoza faces criminal complaint over vehicle purchase

Vice President Edmand Lara has filed a criminal complaint against Economy Minister José Gabriel Espinoza regarding irregularities in the purchase of an Audi Q4 e-tron and his subsequent asset declarations.

The complaint alleges discrepancies between the vehicle's recorded value in a notarized deed, which listed Bs 50,000, and the price Espinoza publicly claimed to have paid, which was Bs 350,000. Lara is seeking investigations into potential crimes including ideological falsehood, use of falsified instruments, and illicit enrichment.

Additionally, the complaint highlights that Espinoza failed to include the vehicle in his sworn asset declaration submitted to the Comptroller General in June 2026. Espinoza has attributed the discrepancy in the purchase price to an error made by a legal representative during the documentation process, stating that the mistake must be corrected.