The Municipality of Valenzuela, led by Mayor Mirtha Fernández (PLRA), has been ordered by a court to pay G. 115 million after issuing two checks without sufficient funds, according to ABC Color. The checks—one for G. 105 million and another for G. 120 million—were issued in October 2025 to Marco Torres Aguilera. The judicial order was communicated to the Municipal Board, but councilors say they do not know the purpose of the payments.
Councilor Néstor Cantero (Colorado Party) told ABC Color that the signatory, José Flores, is not an administrative employee but works as a caretaker of the Municipal Cemetery and occasionally drives the municipal ambulance. “It is extremely worrying that a person in that role signed municipal checks,” Cantero said. He added that the Colorado bloc will request reports from Mayor Fernández and summon Flores to explain why he signed the checks. They will also ask the National Development Bank (BNF) for records of who is authorized to issue checks for the municipality.
According to ABC Color, José Flores does not appear in any official municipal payroll records, including the sworn declarations filed with the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) or the Public Service Secretariat’s payroll portal. The municipal salary list, which Mayor Fernández is required to upload monthly, has not been updated. “He is a worker, we know he has been there a long time, but we need to know if he signed voluntarily or was forced. This would not be the first time the mayor has involved employees in irregularities—it happened with her general secretary and accountant, who are now on trial with her,” Cantero said.
Mayor Fernández is already on trial for an alleged embezzlement of G. 1,999 million during her 2019 term. Six others are accused alongside her for breach of trust and criminal association; two have already been convicted. The trial is currently in the witness testimony phase. Separately, Fernández was recently indicted for an alleged embezzlement of G. 300 million from municipal funds during her 2022-2023 term, along with five other municipal employees.