Claudio Uberti
Claudio Uberti, born on December 3, 1957, is a former Argentine official who gained power through his ties to President Néstor Kirchner. He led OCCOVI, the federal agency that regulates highway concessions.
While in charge of OCCOVI, Uberti helped arrange trade deals between Argentina and Venezuela and became a close ally of both Kirchner and Hugo Chávez. People called him a kind of “parallel ambassador” to Venezuela, and he was known for his warm relations with both leaders. He was nicknamed “Pachi” and “Ubi.”
Uberti rose to prominence after the 2007 Maletinazo, the suitcase scandal. A suitcase with nearly $800,000 was seized at Buenos Aires airport from a passenger on a diplomatic flight Uberti oversaw. He faced charges of smuggling, money laundering, and soliciting bribes. The case was later dropped, but an FBI probe concluded that the money was an illegal Chávez campaign donation to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
His early life paints a picture of a person who was always seeking money and good fortune. He was born in a small town in Santa Fe province to a construction worker father and a hairdresser mother. From youth, he was described as “erratic” and drawn to money and strange situations. After some trouble in his youth, he moved first to Santa Cruz and then to Rio Gallegos, where he met his wife, Patricia Palacios, and several Kirchner supporters.
In 2003, OCCOVI was founded to control toll roads and collect highway tolls. Uberti ran the agency and reported to Julio de Vido, a key government minister. He became known as “the lord of the tolls.”
In August 2007, Uberti helped organize a charter flight to sign a trade deal with Venezuela. One of the passengers, Guido Antonini Wilson, carried the cash that was seized at the airport. Uberti resigned after the incident. There were questions about his travel patterns and the involvement of others in the money transfer, including claims that the money was connected to Chávez’s campaign.
Years later, prosecutors and investigators pursued various inquiries related to Uberti and other officials. By 2012, some cases were dropped, while others continued to raise questions about bribes and improper deals. In 2013, prosecutors asked a judge to try Uberti for allowing a government official to use an OCCOVI car.
Uberti and his wife have three children: María Florencia, Claudio, and María Cecilia.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:12 (CET).