Venezuelan supreme court charges new opposition leader

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Jan 2023 23:27
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The lawmakers who were appointed last week to lead the opposition are being charged with several crimes, including treason.

Venezuelan court issues warrants for new opposition leaders: AG

Venezuela's supreme court on Monday issued arrest warrants for the new leadership of the opposition national assembly, a court filing read on Monday.

The three lawmakers were appointed last week after Juan Guaido's "interim government" was voted out.

They are being charged with several crimes, including theft and high treason.

They have lived abroad since 2019 due to what they say is "government harassment."

However, the General Prosecutor, Tarek Saab, stated that the evidence provided showed that the three deputies were involved in crimes of usurpation of functions, treason, and money laundering.

All three of them currently live abroad, including Assembly President Dinorah Figuera and one of her vice presidents, Auristela Vasquez, who currently lives in Spain, while the third, vice president, Marianela Fernandez, currently resides in the US.

#EnVideo📹| Fiscal General, @TarekWiliamSaab informó que dará detalles sobre el proceso judicial para el desmantelamiento de "la peor banda política organizada (...) que utiliza la política para saquear los activos de Venezuela en el exterior". #RegresamosALaEscuela2023 pic.twitter.com/qVkdBOh4WN
— VTV CANAL 8 (@VTVcanal8) January 9, 2023

Several politicians who are scheduled to elect a candidate to face President Nicolas Maduro in an election in 2024 are either in exile or barred from politics due to rampant corruption among their circles.

Attorney General Tarek Saab said on state television on Monday morning that Interpol has already been notified about the warrants.

"These three citizens live abroad - two in Spain and one in the United States. We are going to see what the governments of those countries do with our requests," Saab said.

Saab cited other reasons for their arrests, including theft of state assets linked to oil refiner Citgo Petroleum.

Venezuela was thrown into a political crisis in January 2019 when Juan Guaido, the former head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, backed by the US, declared himself "interim president" in an attempt to depose re-elected President Nicolas Maduro.