USA exchanges Maduro confidant
Venezuela is under the authoritarian rule of President Maduro and has been in a serious crisis for years. Elections are to be held next year. The US government has been calling for this for a long time. The two countries have now agreed on an exchange of prisoners.
The government of US President Joe Biden has released a confidant of Venezuela's head of state Nicolás Maduro from prison. In return, several imprisoned US citizens in Venezuela will be released, the White House announced. One of Maduro's confidants is the Colombian businessman Alex Saab. The US government hopes that the exchange will keep the doors open to continue the dialog with Venezuela and that the country will follow a more democratic path in the future, a US government representative said.
Saab was arrested on the Cape Verde Islands in 2020 when his private jet had to refuel on its way to Iran. A year later, he was extradited to the USA, where he was investigated for money laundering, among other things. According to the US investigators, Saab may also have extensive information about illegal business dealings involving the family of the authoritarian President Maduro and high-ranking officials in Venezuela. According to the US government, US President Biden did not take the decision to extradite Saab lightly.
According to information from the White House, ten Americans will be extradited to the USA in exchange - including six who have been unjustly imprisoned. Venezuela is also handing over businessman Leonard Francis to the USA, according to the US government representative. Francis had pleaded guilty in the course of a corruption scandal involving luxury trips and prostitutes in the US Navy, but escaped from house arrest in the USA in 2022. He was arrested by the authorities in Venezuela while on the run. As part of the deal, Venezuela is also releasing 20 compatriots who are being held as political prisoners.
The once rich Venezuela suffers from mismanagement, corruption and sanctions. The South American country has been in a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis for years. Maduro is cracking down on opponents of the government. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president at the beginning of 2019 and tried unsuccessfully to force Maduro out of office. The US government is calling for free elections and a dialog between the government and the opposition. In October, both parties agreed on a presidential election in the second half of 2024. Washington has recently eased sanctions against the country - particularly with regard to the oil sector.
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The confidant of Venezuela's President Maduro, Nicolás Maduro, who is currently serving time in a US prison for charges including money laundering, has been released by the government of US President Joe Biden. This action comes as part of an exchange agreement, where several imprisoned US citizens in Venezuela will be released and a businessman, Leonard Francis, wanted by the USA for involvement in a corruption scandal, will be handed over by Venezuela.
Despite the ongoing political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela under President Maduro's authoritarian rule, the Biden administration hopes that this prisoner exchange will contribute to continued dialogue and encourage Venezuela to move towards a more democratic future.
Source: www.ntv.de
