![Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez speaks to the media during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas June 28, 2011. Venezuela formalized a $1.5 billion Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez speaks to the media during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas June 28, 2011. Venezuela formalized a $1.5 billion](https://c8.alamy.com/compfr/2cx5b7c/venezuelan-energy-minister-rafael-ramirez-speaks-to-the-media-during-an-agreement-signing-ceremony-at-the-headquarters-of-the-state-run-oil-company-pdvsa-in-caracas-june-28-2011-venezuela-formalized-a-1-5-billion-oil-loan-with-japan-on-tuesday-to-be-repaid-with-crude-over-15-years-at-a-rate-of-libor-plus-3-8-percent-ramirez-said-the-money-would-be-used-to-expand-capacity-at-the-el-palito-and-puerto-la-cruz-refineries-to-280000-barrels-per-day-and-210000-bpd-respectively-reuters-carlos-garcia-rawlins-venezuela-tags-politics-energy-business-2cx5b7c.jpg)
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez speaks to the media during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas June 28, 2011. Venezuela formalized a $1.5 billion
![Expresidente de Pdvsa: Ha habido corrupción con el petróleo en toda la historia de Venezuela - CNN Video Expresidente de Pdvsa: Ha habido corrupción con el petróleo en toda la historia de Venezuela - CNN Video](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210922180903-rba-chavez-ramirez-ms-large-169.jpg)
Expresidente de Pdvsa: Ha habido corrupción con el petróleo en toda la historia de Venezuela - CNN Video
![Diego Salazar: Key player in plunder of Venezuela state oil company spent $2.5 million on a life of luxury | International | EL PAÍS English Diego Salazar: Key player in plunder of Venezuela state oil company spent $2.5 million on a life of luxury | International | EL PAÍS English](https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v0q0cUMdQwFZOUsFp09ieHMcIh8=/414x0/filters:focal(295x415:305x425)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/MMA7PNT6HBCTTICFBD4GR7P73Q.jpg)
Diego Salazar: Key player in plunder of Venezuela state oil company spent $2.5 million on a life of luxury | International | EL PAÍS English
![Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela?s Minister of Energy and Oil and President of the State-Owned Oil Company PDVSA, arrives at his news conference at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington April 16, Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela?s Minister of Energy and Oil and President of the State-Owned Oil Company PDVSA, arrives at his news conference at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington April 16,](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D2WGTA/rafael-ramirez-venezuelas-minister-of-energy-and-oil-and-president-of-the-state-owned-oil-company-pdvsa-arrives-at-his-news-conference-at-the-organization-of-american-states-oas-in-washington-april-16-2010-ramirez-on-thursday-welcomed-investment-by-us-oil-companies-to-help-develop-his-countrys-vast-crude-reserves-as-he-held-energy-talks-in-washington-for-the-first-time-in-six-years-reutersyuri-gripas-united-states-tags-politics-energy-2D2WGTA.jpg)
Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela?s Minister of Energy and Oil and President of the State-Owned Oil Company PDVSA, arrives at his news conference at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington April 16,
![Rafael Ramírez habría recibido dinero de la “olla de sobornos” de Pdvsa, según fiscales de EE UU - Suprema Injusticia Rafael Ramírez habría recibido dinero de la “olla de sobornos” de Pdvsa, según fiscales de EE UU - Suprema Injusticia](https://supremainjusticia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Rafael_Ramirez_Carreno_04.jpg)
Rafael Ramírez habría recibido dinero de la “olla de sobornos” de Pdvsa, según fiscales de EE UU - Suprema Injusticia
![Italia rechazó la extradición a Venezuela de Rafael Ramírez, el ex ministro chavista que se transformó en una de las voces más críticas del régimen - Infobae Italia rechazó la extradición a Venezuela de Rafael Ramírez, el ex ministro chavista que se transformó en una de las voces más críticas del régimen - Infobae](https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/PWV3HZRHPVHV5PSWJLA5GNGL5U.jpg)
Italia rechazó la extradición a Venezuela de Rafael Ramírez, el ex ministro chavista que se transformó en una de las voces más críticas del régimen - Infobae
![Italian Court Rejects Extradition of Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramírez | Venezuelanalysis.com Italian Court Rejects Extradition of Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramírez | Venezuelanalysis.com](https://venezuelanalysis.com/files/images/%5Bsite-date-yyyy%5D/%5Bsite-date-mm%5D/rafael_ramirez.jpg)
Italian Court Rejects Extradition of Former Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramírez | Venezuelanalysis.com
![Italy's Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni (R) and Venezuela's Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez shake hands during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas July 14, Italy's Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni (R) and Venezuela's Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez shake hands during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas July 14,](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2CY72H4/italys-eni-chief-executive-paolo-scaroni-r-and-venezuelas-energy-minister-rafael-ramirez-shake-hands-during-an-agreement-signing-ceremony-at-the-headquarters-of-the-state-run-oil-company-pdvsa-in-caracas-july-14-2011-venezuelas-state-oil-company-pdvsa-and-italys-eni-will-begin-early-production-from-their-junin-5-block-next-year-and-hope-to-reach-240000-barrels-per-day-by-2018-ramirez-said-on-thursday-reuterscarlos-garcia-rawlins-venezuela-tags-politics-energy-business-2CY72H4.jpg)
Italy's Eni Chief Executive Paolo Scaroni (R) and Venezuela's Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez shake hands during an agreement-signing ceremony at the headquarters of the state-run oil company PDVSA in Caracas July 14,
![Venezuela: orden de captura internacional contra el exministro de Petróleo Rafael Ramírez | Euronews Venezuela: orden de captura internacional contra el exministro de Petróleo Rafael Ramírez | Euronews](https://static.euronews.com/articles/stories/06/98/42/68/320x180_cmsv2_a4c8e9f6-8bda-5d22-8986-cd605adfab00-6984268.jpg)
Venezuela: orden de captura internacional contra el exministro de Petróleo Rafael Ramírez | Euronews
![EN CONEXIÓN | ¡ESCÁNDALO! Régimen venezolano acusa a Rafael Ramírez de megafraude en PDVSA - YouTube EN CONEXIÓN | ¡ESCÁNDALO! Régimen venezolano acusa a Rafael Ramírez de megafraude en PDVSA - YouTube](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cm4EhyRYEpM/sddefault.jpg)
EN CONEXIÓN | ¡ESCÁNDALO! Régimen venezolano acusa a Rafael Ramírez de megafraude en PDVSA - YouTube
![The PDVSA Post-Chávez: Will Partnerships with the Private Sector and Chinese Experts Boost Oil Production? The PDVSA Post-Chávez: Will Partnerships with the Private Sector and Chinese Experts Boost Oil Production?](https://www.americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Rafael-Ramirez-PDVSA_lubrio-510x340.jpg)