Venezuela’s former oil minister, Nestor Martinez, who was arrested in 2017 as part of a sweeping graft probe, has died, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Martinez, a chemist who also ran state oil company PDVSA, had been transferred to a military hospital from prison because of kidney problems, according to two of the sources.
He was jailed after the country’s top prosecutor said he allowed a poor refinancing deal for Venezuela’s Citgo Petroleum Corp, a U.S.-based refiner he also used to lead, to go ahead without government approval.
Neither the Information Ministry nor PDVSA responded to emails seeking comment.