Pandemonium of the Pyramids: Who Was Who in Colombian Collapse?

Authorities do not believe that the most sophisticated and gigantic system yet seen for laundering narcotraffic money was dreamed up by a man who not long ago was barely surviving on his income as a salesman of natural products.

Colombia investiga si las ‘piramidales’ dieron fondos para elecciones (El Pais, Spain): “Colombia will investigate whether the pyramid schemes made campaign contributions.”

The phrase “Pandora’s box” used by the Spanish reporter has already been used by the newsweekly Semana to describe the impact of the case in Colombia.

El Espectador (Bogotá) is running a dubbed YouTube clip of a Simpsons episode [above] as a commentary on the “pyramid” scandal. Which just goes to show you: The Simpsons is the font of all wisdom.

The media frenzy around the case has been astonishing. Here in Brazil, much noise has been made about TV Globo’s exclusive coverage of the arrests of Daniel Dantas, Naji Nahas and former São Paulo Celso Pitta — a case with many similarities, I think.

But nothing like the oceans of perp-walk photos snapped of DMG founding partner Davíd Murcia Guzmán. They even snapped him inside his cell.

DMG, la empresa captadora ilegal de dinero intervenida por el Gobierno colombiano la semana pasada, y acusada de blanqueo, ha resultado ser una verdadera caja de Pandora. Este emporio levantado de la nada, que engañó a más de cuatro millones de colombianos, tenía entre sus planes atrapar, con jugosos recursos, a políticos, poderosos abogados y periodistas.

DMG, the trading company that illegally accepted money from small depositors, shut down by the Colombian government last week and accused of money laundering, has turned out to be a veritable Pandora’s box. This company, which emerged from nowhere to swindle more than 4 million Colombians, had plans to use its ample funds to coopt politicians, powerful lawyers and journalists.

Actualmente se investiga si financió campañas de gobernadores y alcaldes en las elecciones regionales de hace un año. Una llamada interceptada por las autoridades deja en evidencia que la firma respaldó, al menos, 12 candidaturas en diversas elecciones. En una de ellas, en la gobernación de Boyacá, el candidato resultó perdedor, pero hoy es magistrado de uno de los altos tribunales del país.

It is currently being investigated on suspicion of financing gubernatorial and mayoral campaigns in the regional elections a year ago. A telephone call intercepted by authorities makes it clear that the company backed at least 12 candidates in various elections. In one of them, for the governorship of Boyacá, the candidate lost, but is now a judge on one of the highest courts in the land.