Maduro dictatorship orders the capture and extradition of Leopoldo Lopez and Julio Borges

Chavista Tarek William Saab, the Venezuelan Attorney General, requested this Thursday a new arrest and extradition order against opponents Leopoldo López and Julio Borges. -both deported-, whom he accused of obtaining more than a billion dollars in profits through contractors linked to the ‘PDVSA-Crypto’ corruption scheme.

At a press conference, Saab showed a video in which the businessman Samarak Lopez -Imprisoned today and accused of being the “head man” for the detainees tarek al aisamiThe former petroleum minister said at least two Venezuelan contractors “have close ties to the Primero Justicia and Voluntad Popular parties”, including Borges and Leopoldo López, respectively.

The TSJ first issued an arrest warrant against Leopoldo López in 2014 within the framework of a series of national protests against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, where 43 people died and he was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison in 2015 For responsibility for “committing the crimes of arson, public incitement, damage to public property and criminal cooperation”, among others.

Two years later, the TSJ placed him under house arrest, released by rival Juan Guaidó – the self-proclaimed interim president – ​​on April 30, 2019, with a presidential pardon granted months earlier.

Subsequently, the TSJ “rescinded the house arrest measure” and issued an arrest warrant against López, who entered the Spanish ambassador’s residence in Caracas as a guest, where he remained until October 2020, when he fled to Madrid. Went.

In relation to the Borges case, Saab issued an arrest warrant in 2023 and charged him with treason, conspiracy and collaboration for his alleged participation in an attempted military coup in April 2019, although he had previously been charged with “direct participation”. There were two arrest warrants. the theft of the Republic’s gold deposited in England” and for planning and financing an assassination attempt against President Maduro in August 2018.

Chavista Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly (AN, parliament), on Tuesday requested the maximum sentence – 30 years – for former oil minister Tarek El Aissami, accused of involvement in a state corruption conspiracy. PDVSA.

The MP also asked the courts to consider imposing the maximum penalty on the businessman. Samarak LopezFor his alleged participation in the ‘PDVSA-Crypto’ conspiracy, for which 66 people have been arrested, and which aimed, among other things, to “damage the Venezuelan economy”.

,I hope they give 30 years in prison for the traitor Samarq Lopez and 30 years in prison for the traitor El Aissami.” said Rodriguez, who accused the two of trying toThe economic reform process initiated by President Nicolas Maduro has been harmed.,

The head of AN gave a namespecial commission-Which will be headed by the First Deputy Speaker of the ruling party legislature pedro infante– To install “political responsibility“of the accused, so that the public ministry (parliamentarian, prosecutor’s office)”develop criminal liability Of those who commit such serious crimes,” Rodriguez explained.

El Aissami and López, in addition to the former Minister of Economy and Finance simon jerpaArrested on 9 April and later charged with “crimes of”.Treason, misappropriation or diversion of public property, boasting or praising, money laundering and aiding and abetting the commission of a crime.,

(with information from EFE)