The Venezuelan government has halted negotiations with the opposition in protest at the extradition of a confidant and ally of President Maduro to the US. That man, Colombian businessman Alex Saab, was extradited this weekend by the Cape Verdean government to the US government, which suspects him of corruption, theft of public funds and money laundering in the US.
Negotiations were due to take place today in Mexico City on a way out of the political crisis that has gripped Venezuela since the beginning of 2019: then both the socialist president Maduro and his major competitor Juan Guaidó declared themselves president of the country, a situation that has not been resolved since. Guaidó is recognized as president by dozens of countries, including the US and the Netherlands, but Maduro is still in power. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan economy has been in free fall in recent years.
‘brutal aggression’
Saab had been stuck in Cape Verde since June 2020, where he was arrested when his plane landed to refuel on the way to Iran. According to the Venezuelan government, he was en route to Iran on a government humanitarian and diplomatic mission, and his arrest and extradition constituted a form of “kidnapping.” Saab was also added last month to the team that would negotiate with the opposition on behalf of Maduro. In protest at “this brutal aggression” by the US, Maduro’s negotiating team is staying away from Mexico City, said parliamentarian Jorge Rodriguez, who leads the team.
The Maduro government has insisted in recent months that the suspicions against Saab are merely pretexts for the US to force a change of power and bring their candidate Guaidó to power. However, the US government claims that Saab was involved in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in public money, including from funds intended for social housing and food aid for poor Venezuelans. According to the Americans, he did so together with Maduro and his family.
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