While the attention of the Venezuelan public remains focused on other issues, the Pdvsa-Crypto case, involving former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, has been reactivated in the judicial sphere, with his second hearing before the courts.
The former executive vice president and former oil minister, according to judicial sources, broke his silence after more than two years of detention. In his first statement before the Fourth Criminal Court for Terrorism and Corruption, the former official denounced systematic torture, procedural irregularities, and a marked deterioration of his health.
His statements, recorded by former prosecutor Zair Mundaray, had a significant impact, and here are the key points of what is known so far.
Tareck El Aissami gave his first statement on Friday, May 8, 2026, before the Fourth Criminal Court for Terrorism and Corruption, after more than two years of detention.
The former minister arrived at the court in a wheelchair and appeared to be in a visibly deteriorated physical condition, according to accounts reported by former prosecutor Zair Mundaray. He was unable to stand on his own.
El Aissami denounced torture and cruel treatment during his confinement at Fuerte Tiuna. He directly implicated the Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, as responsible for the abuses. He even accused Saab of trying to involve him in the case of the death of the singer Canserbero.
He detailed that prosecutors and a psychiatrist from the Public Ministry drugged and undressed him during an interrogation. He also recounted eight months under constant bright light, sleeping on the cold floor, and being deprived of hygiene for 100 days.
He stated that he was arrested at his residence on April 9, 2024, without a judicial order, transferred to a cell at Fuerte Tiuna, and denied access to his private lawyer. Individuals wearing hoods were involved in his arrest.
El Aissami claimed that he did not know that torture existed in Venezuela until he experienced it (or that he did not imagine that torture existed in the country), even though he was the Minister of the Interior.
El Aissami requested that the proceedings be public and with the presence of media outlets to highlight the conditions of his confinement.
Mundaray highlighted irregularities in the case file and questioned the solidity of the Public Ministry's charges against the defendants in the corruption scheme.
The continuation of the trial is expected in the coming weeks. The court has postponed previous sessions and is proceeding with dozens of defendants in the PDVSA-Crypto case.
El Aissami's defense team requested precautionary measures, including his release due to health problems such as a blood clot in his leg and complications from a herniated disc.
El Aissami also implicated prosecutors Eddie Alberto Rodríguez Bencomo—who is leading the prosecution of over 1,700 pages against the implicated parties—and Farik Karin Mora Salcedo.
According to him, Eddie Rodríguez played the role of the "bad cop": he insulted him, threatened him, and repeatedly told him that "no one would mourn him."
Meanwhile, Farik Mora played the role of the "good cop," although he also participated in the interrogations and psychological pressure.
The case involves accusations of corruption, misappropriation of funds, and irregular operations within PDVSA through cryptocurrencies. El Aissami's statements introduce serious allegations of human rights violations against officials from the Public Ministry.