David Martínez Guzmán, Bernardo Gómez Martínez, and Alfonso de Angoitia Noriega, co-executive chairmen of Televisa, jointly control 82.8% of the shares of Grupo ICA, the renowned construction company in Mexico, following a complex financial operation carried out through shell companies in Luxembourg.
According to the investigation by journalist Mathieu Tourliere from Proceso, Gómez and De Angoitia's participation in Grupo ICA's shareholding was consolidated following the sale of the company's shares in Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, which took place in December 2022 for 1.2 billion dollars, after which they took control of Luxembourg companies.
In Tourliere's words, the story is significant because Grupo ICA has traditionally benefited from public resources, and the operation occurred during the government of Enrique Peña Nieto, where Televisa maintained a close relationship. He also highlighted that De Angoitia and Gómez, through their wealth advisory firm Verax, facilitated the placement of funds from wealthy individuals in offshore companies, as in the case of Juan Armando Hinojosa Cantú, owner of Grupo Higa.
ICA's financial rescue in 2016 by David Martínez, in collaboration with Televisa executives, coincided with the reactivation of large contracts for the construction company by Peña Nieto's government, including the New Mexico City Airport project. Subsequently, with the change of administration and the arrival of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ICA continued to receive significant government contracts, participating in key projects such as the Dos Bocas refinery and the Maya Train.
The investigation revealed that Martínez, through his offshore companies, owns 34.9% of Grupo ICA's shares and that Televisa executives received over 140 million dollars in dividends from the construction company between 2022 and 2023, sending these funds to real estate companies in Spain.
Tourliere emphasized that his interest in the story arose with David Martínez's acquisition of shares in Televisa in 2024, amid an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into alleged bribery in 'FIFA Gate.' The journalist is probing Martínez's business methods, describing him as a billionaire about whom little is known.
