2023-12-20 17:59:22
The United States agreed to release Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a key ally of President Nicolás Maduro, in exchange for him releasing several Americans detained in Venezuela, three current and former US officials with knowledge of the case informed CBS.
Citing senior sources in Venezuela, the Reuters agency reported that the agreement establishes that Caracas will release a total of 36 people, of which 12 are US citizens.
Saab was extradited in 2021 from Cape Verde to the United States, where he faces charges of conspiracy to launder money.
Aex Saab has long been an ally and a very controversial figure for the Maduro government: they claim that the Colombian businessman was unjustly arrested in Cape Verde at the request of the United States in 2020. The US government and the Venezuelan opposition claim that he He headed a multimillion-dollar money laundering operation for President Maduro.
According to the US Prosecutor’s Office, Saab diverted some $350 million from Venezuela through the United States in a scheme that involved bribery of Venezuelan government officials.
According to Reuters, among the Venezuelans who will be released are 20 who have been imprisoned for some time and another four were recently arrested and are people who participated in the organization of the opposition primary elections or who are linked to the opposition campaign. opposition candidate, María Corina Machado.
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