{
  "id": 9950906,
  "title": "TV Azteca Took a US$290 Million Loan From an Offshore Bank Before Filing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/tv-azteca-took-a-us-290-million-loan-from-an-offshore-bank-before",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-26T08:32:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/tv-azteca-alterbank-290-million-loan-saint-lucia-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mexico's TV Azteca obtained a US$290 million loan from an offshore bank registered in Saint Lucia just before seeking bankruptcy protection. The investigative outlets Armando.info and El Faro reported on 24 September that the loan was legal and was used to pay a tax bill. The bank, AlterBank, is a small entity with only three employees, according to El Imparcial. Two Venezuelans, Augusto César Castillo Chávez and Tomás Hernández, have been linked to AlterBank, including Hernández as an adviser to the government of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. The loan was agreed upon on 29 January 2026 and due for repayment in July, but TV Azteca sought Mexican bankruptcy protection in September. Five of its subsidiaries filed separately on the same day. The broadcaster claims the loan was legal and used to meet obligations with Mexico's tax authority, the SAT. However, BankruptcyData suggests the loan was obtained to prevent the seizure of TV Azteca's assets. Creditors have filed a fraudulent-transfer claim in a United States court, questioning whether the loan was a fraudulent transfer aimed at moving assets out of creditors' reach. The investigation into TV Azteca, AlterBank, and the two men behind the bank continues, with the outcomes yet to be determined.",
  "summary": "Armando.info and El Faro report that TV Azteca borrowed up to US$290 million from AlterBank, a Saint Lucia lender, weeks before its bankruptcy filing. The post TV Azteca Took a US$290 Million Loan From an Offshore Bank Before Filing appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}