BBC: One of President Nicolás Maduro’s closest aides has been extradited from Cape Verde to the United States, where he’s been charged with money laundering.
The US Treasury says Alex Saab worked as a front man for Mr Maduro’s regime.
The Venezuelan government suspended talks soon afterwards with the US-backed opposition.
The talks were to resolve a political crisis that has led to violence and the collapse of the economy.
The discussions had been due to resume this weekend in Mexico.
The US Treasury accuses Mr Saab – a Colombian-born businessman and Venezuelan envoy – of using his accounts in American banks to launder the proceeds of corruption.
He was detained in June last year as his plane made a stopover to refuel in Cape Verde.
Mr Saab said he was travelling on an official mission to obtain medical supplies to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. He denies all the charges and says they are politically motivated.
The Venezuelan government has accused the US of kidnapping diplomatic personnel and announced the suspension in negotiations with the opposition that were set to resume this weekend.
Mr Saab was due to be a member of the government’s negotiating team in talks with the opposition in Mexico.
The suspension of talks was announced by ruling Socialist party legislator Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the government’s negotiating team.
Mr Rodriguez called the decision “an expression of our deepest protest against the brutal aggression” against Mr Saab.
Mr Saab is accused of making large amounts of money from overvalued contracts, as well as from Venezuela’s government-set exchange rate and centralised system of import and distribution of basic foods.
Venezuela has faced chronic shortages of food and medicine as a result of years of political and economic crisis.
Venezuela’s opposition has described Mr Saab as a front man doing shady deals for the populist socialist regime of Mr Maduro.
Colombian President Ivan Duque tweeted that Mr Saab’s extradition was “a triumph in the fight against drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption by the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro”.
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What is his relationship with political persons inna Antigua? I thought someone in a high position referred to him as “MY FRIEND”.He is a Citizen of Antigua and Barbuda.When I mentioned our Passports are being sold to known Criminals some of you of the RED “JIM JONES CULT “WANTED MY HEAD.Now what do you have to say?
Gaston Browne knows everything and he talks everything on his Saturday show.
Let us see if he tells us WHAT WAS THE CRITERIA AND/OR WHAT WAS THE PROCESS USED TO MAKE ALEX SAAB AN AMBASSADOR OF OUR COUNTRY.
The same criteria used to make a female bodybuilder an ambassador and getting a diplomatic passport. Oh, I would say their was some financing involved here.
Is this the same man that had Antigua diplomatic passport, and was involved involved in skuldugary in Antigua. The link below made some interesting disclosure.
https://www.wantedsa.com/index.php/sections/world/3115-alex-saab-moran-fugitive-colombian-money-launderer-for-venezuela-diplomat-from-caribbean-island-of-antigua-captured-and-arrested-in-cape-verde
According to the below link
His extensive criminal activities in Dominica and Antigua, where he was involved in owning and operating offshore (locally incorporated) banks, and in acquiring both Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and diplomatic passports, attracted the attention of US law enforcement agencies monitoring the use of banks in the East Caribbean states for the laundering of the proceeds of Venezuelan corruption. Allegations of Saab’s use of Caribbean banks to transfer the proceeds of crime to Panama and into the United States have never been confirmed, but should surface during Saab’s coming trial, should he be, as expected, extradited.
The public defense of Saab in 2019, by the Government of Antigua, even after his indictment, as its “diplomat” (Economic Envoy) and acting on its behalf, became a permanent stain on the reputation of Antigua & Barbuda . He had already been indicted at the time Antigua openly supported him, and was well known to North American bankers as a money launderer. Saab’s Antigua offshore bank had a direct relationship to one of the country’s most prominent indigenous banks, which was suspected of being the vehicle through which the money laundering funds were channelled.
https://www.wantedsa.com/index.php/sections/world/3115-alex-saab-moran-fugitive-colombian-money-launderer-for-venezuela-diplomat-from-caribbean-island-of-antigua-captured-and-arrested-in-cape-verde
You do realize these are allegations? Your source has not only been accused, they have been convicted. Try and remember the party you support, the US has not only accused a then PM of such, they have convictions for most of those involved with him. You recall them pointing out how much money went into Mr Spencer’s personal bank account? Then there is the current party leader and a few other former parliamentarians currently on trail. Recall when you used to use google search counts as evidence of corruption, yet watch the evidence right in front of you.
Temman, thou does protest too much, maybe the red wine you love to drink is actually cheap red cool aid. You can stand on the record, that whenever Antigua’s name is mentioned with any shady characters, only one party was ever in government the ALP. So you can jump high, or jump low. Your party and its leaders are who caused Antiguan to be known as the most corrupt little country in the world.
May I suggest you add the following books to your library? All is clouded with desire by Alan Block & Constance Weaver. A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid also Caribbean Time Bomb by Robert Coram.
I know that one of your MO is to deflect and try to pull a read herring across the trail, but even if you are drunk on red wine you cannot deny the fact that shady characters are only attracted to Antigua when your party is in government.
CCOL+RULER you are on the ball. I agree completely with your comments and I hope for God’s sake TENMAN (and some of the others like JUST SAYING, FROM THE SIDELINE, ERIC (THE RED), PETE, CARSON, ERIC LAMPTON and PHILLIP G) read the books you recommended so they get an understanding of the international corruption that ALP Administrations have gotten this country into. I wish to add SPACE RESEARCH, GUNS TO COLOMBIA and more recently ODEBRECHT.
Some of you tow-the-line party members are so full of it.
What happen to one of our biggest scandals involving John Ashe????
Selective amnesia I see. Smh
@TENMAN: Have you ever listened to those IHI TAPES? I say no more.
Tenman,Sidelines,CErmle,Eric the Dead Red,All of the others,Gastonites.Where are you folks hiding,get out of that under ground Bunker.
Hiding why? I can stand on the record off this government. No US, UK etc official has been accused of any crime? Did we not remove him when the allegations were made? I have seen the US make similar accusations and then after negotiations with the country they are after, back down (Meng Wanzhou)
How could a person with such a shady character get an Antigua and Barbuda Diplomatic Passport. How much $$$$$$$ did he have to show,the money loving eyes of the Head Honcho. How rich is that Head Honcho now?
America name god?
America think they are god. They can arrest and lay all kinds of frivolous changes against anyone and lock them up for many rears because they don’t do what America wants. They haven’t been able yet to stop Maduro, so will try to destroy anybody close to him.
CCOL+RULER you are on the ball. I agree completely with your comments and I hope for God’s sake TENMAN (and some of the others like JUST SAYING, FROM THE SIDELINE, ERIC (THE RED), PETE, CARSON, ERIC LAMPTON and PHILLIP G) read the books you recommended so they get an understanding of the international corruption that ALP Administrations have gotten this country into. I wish to add SPACE RESEARCH, GUNS TO COLOMBIA and more recently ODEBRECHT.
Some of you tow-the-line party members are so full of it.
What happen to one of our biggest scandals involving John Ashe????
Selective amnesia I see. Smh
ONLOOKER citing the John Ashe issue as one of our biggest scandals clearly shows that you do not know what is a big scandal with international repercussions. Can you really begin to compare the John Ashe scandal with either SPACE RESEARCH, GUNS TO COLOMBIA or ODEBRECHT? If you think they are comparable you need to have your head examined.
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