I. “U.S. Digs For Vote-Machine Links To Hugo Chavez,” Miami Herald – Oct. 28, 2006

Alfonso Chardy, Writer for The Miami Herald, reported in his article “U.S. Digs For Vote-Machine Links To Hugo Chavez,” in The Miami Herald on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006:

“Federal officials are investigating whether Smartmatic, owner of Oakland, California-based Sequoia Voting Systems, is secretly controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to two people familiar with the probe…

The probe stems from a May 4 letter to the Treasury Department by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., raising concerns about Smartmatic’s purchase of Sequoia last year. Maloney said she was disturbed by a 2004 article in The Miami Herald revealing that the Venezuelan government owned 28 percent of Bizta – a company operated by two of the same people who own Smartmatic. Bizta bought back those shares after the article appeared, and Smartmatic now characterizes the deal as a loan.

Bizta and Smartmatic had partnered with Venezuelan telephone giant CANTV to win a $91 million contract to supply electronic voting machines for Venezuelan elections, including the controversial 2004 referendum Chavez won. Smartmatic categorically denies any link to the Chavez regime.

The Smartmatic investigation is being conducted by the Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, CFIUS – which determines whether deals involving foreign investors compromise national security. Neither CFIUS nor Smartmatic confirmed the investigation, by they did not dispute it…

The founders and principal owners of Smartmatic are Antonio Mugica and Alfredo Anzola. They are also the founders and owners of Bizta – the company the Venezuelan government once partly owned.”

https://votingmachines.procon.org/additional-resources/sequoia-alleged-to-have-ties-to-venezuelas-chavez/