Venezuelan authorities suspends negotiations with opposition By Reuters

By Mayela Armas and Julio Rodrigues

CARACAS/PRAIA (Reuters) -Venezuela on Saturday stated it could droop negotiations with the opposition that have been set to renew this weekend, after Cape Verde extradited Colombian businessman Alex Saab to the US on cash laundering fees.

The announcement was made by Socialist celebration legislator Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the federal government’s negotiating staff. Rodriguez stated the Venezuelan authorities wouldn’t attend the talks set to start on Sunday.

The Venezuelan authorities in September named Saab – who was arrested in June 2020 when his airplane stopped in Cape Verde to refuel – as a member of its negotiating staff at talks with the opposition in Mexico, the place the 2 sides want to resolve their political disaster.

U.S. Justice charged Saab in 2019 in reference to a bribery scheme to make the most of Venezuela’s state-controlled change fee. The U.S. additionally sanctioned him for allegedly orchestrating a corruption community that allowed Saab and Maduro to revenue from a state-run meals subsidy program.

“By advantage of this very severe motion, our delegation pronounces it’s suspending its participation within the negotiation and dialogue, consequently we won’t attend the spherical of negotiations – which ought to start tomorrow, Oct. 17 in Mexico Metropolis – as an expression of our deepest protest in opposition to the brutal aggression in opposition to the particular person and the investiture of our delegate Alex Saab Moran,” Rodriguez learn from an announcement.

Saab’s legal professionals have referred to as the U.S. fees “politically motivated.”

Cape Verde nationwide radio reported the extradition on Saturday. The federal government of Cape Verde was not instantly accessible to remark.

The U.S. Justice Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, whereas the Venezuelan authorities referred in an announcement to his extradition as a kidnapping.

The management of Venezuela’s opposition didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

In a Twitter (NYSE:) publish, Colombian President Ivan Duque referred to as Saab’s extradition “a triumph within the struggle in opposition to drug trafficking, cash laundering and corruption by the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.”

Cape Verde’s constitutional court docket https://www.reuters.com/world/cape-verde-court-approves-extradition-maduro-envoy-us-2021-09-07 dominated in September after a protracted court docket battle that Saab needs to be extradited.