Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and several members of his regime have been charged with "narco-terrorism" in the United States, Justice Minister Bill Barr announced Thursday. Washington is offering a $ 15 million bonus for any information that would arrest the socialist leader.
Accused of having participated in a criminal association with the FARC
In addition to Nicolas Maduro, the number two of the presidential party, Diosdado Cabello, the Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez or the head of the Supreme Court of Venezuela are among those charged. They are accused of "having participated in a criminal association which involves an extremely violent terrorist organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and in an effort to flood the United States with cocaine," said Bill Barr a press conference.
"For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of his high-ranking colleagues have cooperated with the FARC, which has allowed tons of cocaine to enter the United States," he added. He said that the United States did not recognize Nicolas Maduro as the president of Venezuela, just as it did not recognize Manuel Noriega as president of Panama when he was charged in 1989 with drug trafficking.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido supported by sixty countries, including the United States
At the head of Venezuela since 2013, Nicolas Maduro was re-elected for a second term in 2018 after a boycott election by the opposition, which rejected the results, like much of the international community. The United States, as well as sixty countries, support the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom they have recognized as interim president.
Washington has since tried to suffocate the government of Nicolas Maduro with a series of economic sanctions. Donald Trump's stated objective is to help oust the successor of Hugo Chavez, a great slayer of "North American imperialism". But the latter retains the support of China, Russia and Cuba, and support for Juan Gaido begins to run out of steam in the country.