The authoritarian leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was able to secure the release of a crucial ally from US custody by agreeing to release 10 American and 20 Venezuelan prisoners.
In 2021, Alex Saab, a businessman from Colombia and a close ally of Maduro, was extradited to the US after being arrested in Cape Verde while on transit. US prosecutors had accused him of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars from Venezuelan social programs as part of a large money-laundering operation.
On Thursday, 51-year-old Saab, who refutes the allegations, unexpectedly returned to Caracas after reaching an agreement with the US.
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s government released a statement celebrating the return of diplomat Alex Saab, who was unjustly imprisoned in the US.”
The arrival of Saab at the Maiquetía airport was broadcasted live on Venezuelan state TV, where he was greeted by the first lady of the country, Cilia Flores, his family, and other prominent supporters of the Chavista party like Jorge Rodríguez. The government-owned channel Telesur had its president, Patricia Villegas, reporting from the ramp. She expressed her excitement as Saab stepped out of a private jet, calling it a significant moment.
During a live broadcast following the event, Maduro appeared alongside Saab at the Miraflores presidential palace and expressed his gratitude to the government of Qatar for their role in facilitating the negotiations that resulted in the agreement. “Alex, you have arrived in a free and dignified country,” Maduro told his guest.
“I am grateful to see the miracle of freedom and justice become a reality in our lives. I thank the President for his unwavering determination. To the people of Venezuela, I am honored to serve you and your government. A compassionate and faithful government that stands by its people.”
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced that 10 American citizens, with six being deemed as “unlawfully imprisoned,” were being repatriated as per the agreement. Among the four individuals released were Joseph Cristella, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore and Savoi Wright.
Eyvin Hernandez, a 44-year-old attorney and activist for criminal justice in Los Angeles, was arrested at the Colombia-Venezuela border in March on charges of “criminal association” and “conspiracy,” which his family denied. Upon learning of his release, Garrett Miller, president of the public defenders union and colleague of Hernandez, expressed joy and stated that Hernandez is a passionate advocate for their clients and his absence has been greatly felt.
Biden is advising Americans to avoid traveling to Venezuela. He expressed concern for the amount of time these individuals have been separated from their families and the daily suffering their loved ones have endured. He is thankful that their difficult experience has come to an end and that these families are being reunited.
A high-ranking official from the US government stated that this agreement is the result of immense dedication and determination from various departments over the course of several months.
The agreement also involved the retrieval and capture of an escaped criminal named Leonard Francis. He had escaped to Venezuela through Mexico and Cuba, leaving his electronic tracking device behind. He was accused of being involved in what Biden referred to as “an audacious case of bribery and corruption”. In their coverage of the “Fat Leonard scandal” in 2016, the Washington Post stated: “In what is possibly the most severe security breach to affect the navy since the end of the Cold War, Francis provided sex and money to a surprisingly large number of military members who shared confidential information with him about US warships and submarines.”
According to Luis Vicente León, a political analyst and head of the Caracas-based polling company Datanalisis, the freeing of prisoners is seen as a success for the leaders of both nations.
Biden’s successful return of US citizens, whom he saw as hostages, to their families before Christmas was a significant achievement. For Maduro, the deal was also a success as it showcased his commitment to not abandoning his people and ultimately brought the Chavismo movement together.
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León claimed that the most significant danger to Maduro’s Chavismo movement and its Bolivarian revolution was not an external attack or its rivals in politics – it was an internal “collapse”. Saab’s release allowed Maduro to demonstrate that he alone could maintain unity within the movement and that he would stand by his allies, regardless of the consequences.
The exchange of prisoners is happening as there is a general improvement in relations between Washington and Caracas. This follows a period of tension that peaked in 2019 with an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Maduro and replace him with Juan Guaidó, a young congressman. Guaidó’s efforts to incite a rebellion were unsuccessful, and he has been living in exile in the US since April. María Corina Machado, a conservative opposition leader, has taken on the role of Maduro’s primary rival in Guaidó’s absence.
Machado plans to run against Maduro in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The US is working towards negotiations with Venezuela’s current leaders, which have involved lifting sanctions, in hopes of enabling a fair and inclusive competition.
The senior administration official acknowledged that Biden’s choice to pardon Saab was a tough one. However, they believe that this decision will ultimately bring together families and loved ones.
The opposition in Venezuela rejoiced over the freedom of various significant individuals as a result of the agreement. One of them was Roberto Abdul, who played a role in coordinating the recent opposition primary for the upcoming election and was subsequently detained for alleged betrayal.
However, there was also frustration surrounding the release of Saab, an extremely divisive individual who was once referred to by a journalist as “one of the most despised men in Venezuela”. A book published in 2021 about Saab’s life is titled: Alex Saab: The Real Story Behind the Businessman Who Achieved Multimillionaire Status in the Shadow of Nicolás Maduro.
In an article about X, Marshall Billingslea, a former US treasury official under the Trump administration who was involved in investigating Saab, expressed disappointment and stated that this decision greatly undermines the US’s reputation in combatting corruption, especially in Latin America.
According to Billingslea, this is even more devastating for the Venezuelan opposition. He strongly condemns Saab as a despicable individual who profits off of hunger and serves as a pawn for Maduro. Despite claiming to be allies, we have allowed one of the most corrupt Bolivarian oligarchs to escape punishment.
Source: theguardian.com
