GUAZAPA I

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Scrapped

Broken up Guayaquil 04/2019, Aceria del Ecuador

Tanker to be towed to scrapyard

The Maritime Port Authority (AMP) authorized the towing of the "Guazapa I" from Salvadoran waters by a tugboat. The ship has been stranded in the port of La Unión since October 2015 and to date no longer has a flag of any country and was lacking all the certificates required by law, which included registration. The vessel is owned by the company Guazapa, S.A., registered in Panama. The company bought the tanker from Atlantic Pacific Logistic, a firm that received more than $ 150 million in loans from Alba Petróleos, the mixed economy company created by the FMLN mayor's office and PDV Caribe. Since October 2015, the company Guazapa disobeyed several orders from the AMP for the ship to be repaired and leave Salvadoran waters. The company even paid a fine of $ 5,416 for this reason. At the end of 2018, the b AMP ordered the scrapping of the ship for having lost its condition or navigability, thereby representing an imminent danger to navigation and to the port infrastructure. Demolition was to take place at the FORMOSA shipyard, but the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) warned that it did not have the permit or the conditions to do this work. Upon hearing the position of the ministry, the board of directors of the AMP ordered the company to refrain from executing the demolition. The MARN, for its part, concluded that the ship represented an imminent risk for the port of La Unión. The technical opinion of the AMP was that the "Guazapa 1" already had damages, it did not have condition to sail, it had suffered water ingress and a perforated hull. The ship must be towed to another point by a ship that has sufficient capacity for the maneuver. In February the legal representative of Guazapa, SA, José González Segura, informed the AMP that the vessel will be scrapped in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and requested authorization for this maneuver. The entity authorized the transfer of the vessel, but requested to use a tug with sufficient capacity, but not before stating that the maneuver will be at the risk and risk of the shipowner company and the tugboat owner. The authority also required to submit a series of documents before the departure, such as statutory certificates, insurance for the protection of water pollution. characteristics and capacity of the tug a.o. The authorization was granted to the "Corsario I". Entities such as the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) and the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) did not object to the ship being removed from the country. At the moment, only the MARN authorization remained. If the MARN supports the maneuver, the ship would leave the port of La Unión next week. Spanish report with photo: https://www.eleconomista.net/actualidad/-Autoridad-Maritima-Portuaria-autoriza-que-remolquen-buque-Guazapa-fuera-de-El-Salvador-20190319-0004.html

Suspicion of money washing after tanker was sold for one dollar

The "Guazapa 1", valued at $ 1.8 million. is to be sold for one dollar. The vessel has been languishing in El Puerto de La Unión since Oct 15, 2015. The company Atlantic Pacific Logistic has sold the tanker to the company Guazapa. Both companies are legally represented by the lawyer José Mauricio Cortez Avelar, who is the legal representative of Sigfredo Israel Merino, brother of José Luis Merino, candidate for the FMLN deputy. Investigations were launched against Merino regarding possible links to drug trafficking and arms smuggling in collaboration with the Colombian FARC guerrillas and who was described as a "first class" money launderer and a FARC arms dealer. The intention to buy the vessel was to ship gasoline from Venezuela to Caribbean countries and companies in the United States. Spanish reports with photos: http://elmundo.sv/indagaran-a-merino-por-venta-de-buque-a-1/ https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalvador/FGR--sospecha-que-se-lavo-dinero-al-vender-buque-a-1-varado-en-el-puerto-de-La-Union-20180226-0120.html