Saab case: for Washington, the interests of Maduro come before those of the Venezuelans
The Venezuelan president announced the suspension of the participation of the Caracas authorities in negotiations with the opposition in Mexico City.
Here, Nicolas Maduro speaks to the media in Caracas, October 15, 2021 © Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Reuters
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The US administration accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday (October 18) of putting the case of businessman Alexander Saab before the interests of millions of Venezuelans.
After the extradition of this relative of the Chavist leader, Caracas announced the suspension of dialogue with the Venezuelan opposition, which were to resume the day before.
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"
The criminal charges against Alex Saab largely precede and have no connection with the negotiations
" between the regime and the opposition, the spokesman of the American diplomacy Ned Price told the press on Monday .
By suspending its participation in these negotiations, the Maduro regime [...] has clearly shown that it has once again put its interests ahead of those of the Venezuelan people.
"
Considered an important intermediary of Venezuelan power,
Alex Saab was extradited Saturday, October 16 to the United States
by Cape Verde, and appeared for the first time Monday in Florida before an American judge.
He was formally charged with several counts, including one of money laundering.
The 49-year-old Colombian businessman is accused in the United States of being the head of a vast network that allowed the socialist leader and his regime to divert food aid to Venezuela for their benefit .
He is believed to have transferred with his partner some $ 350 million from Venezuela to accounts they controlled in the United States and other countries.
The next hearing will be on November 1.
The two defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
A "
kidnapping
", according to Caracas
Alex Saab has already said Sunday, October 17, in a letter read by his wife at a public rally in Caracas, that he "will not
collaborate [it] with the United States
" but "will
face [it] his trial with dignity
”.
"
I have not committed any crime,
" he assured in the mail.
Nicolas Maduro called the extradition a "
kidnapping
" and suspended the participation
of the Venezuelan authorities in talks with the opposition
, which were to resume Sunday in Mexico City.
The country has for years faced
a political and economic crisis that
has pushed millions of Venezuelans into exodus or
endure repeated shortages of basic products and energy
.
Washington calls for the "
immediate and unconditional
" release of Citgo executives
Without there being any official link, six former executives of Citgo, a subsidiary in the United States of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, were put back in prison this Sunday, October 17 in Venezuela, AFP learned from one of their lawyers.
Sentenced to 8 to 13 years for corruption in November 2020, they had been placed under house arrest in April.
The change was then seen as a gesture of goodwill by President Maduro towards Washington.
In front of the press, the spokesman for American diplomacy ruled out any exchange of Alex Saab with the leaders of Citgo, and called on the regime to release them "
immediately and unconditionally
".
(With AFP)
►
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Venezuela
Nicolas maduro
United States
Diplomacy
Juan Guaido