sentences:  He was reputed to be one of the wealthiest men in Venezuela.His "Grupo Empresas Latinoamericanas" included the "Banco Progreso" in Venezuela, the "Banco Progreso Internacional de Puerto Rico", and the "Banco Latinoamericana" in the Dominican Republic.In 1990, he bought a large block of shares in the prestigious "Banco de Venezuela" (BdV), a bastion of Caracas's old-money elite, and tried to get on its board of directors.