A Venezuelan diplomat who was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 has been extradited to the US and is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
Alex Saab, a Colombian-born Venezuelan businessman, was arrested in Cape Verde in June 2020 while on his way to Iran. Saab was sent to Iran to negotiate shipments of medicine and other essential goods that Venezuela struggles to import due to crushing US sanctions.
The trade relationship between Iran and Venezuela — two countries under heavy sanctions — has angered Washington and resulted in the US outright stealing shipments of Iranian gas that were bound for Venezuela.
The extradition of Saab appears to be another extreme example of the US enforcing its unilateral sanctions. He has been indicted for “money laundering,” a term the US uses to describe trade with sanctioned individuals and entities.
Since 2017, sanctions implemented by the US have had a devastating impact on Venezuela’s civilian population. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, between 2017 and 2018, US sanctions contributed to 40,000 deaths in the country.
Western media has portrayed Saab as a “financier” and “ally” of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. But in reality, Saab was working as an envoy for the government and should have diplomatic immunity under international law. But since the US doesn’t recognize the government of Venezuela, Washington doesn’t recognize its envoys.
Since January 2019, the US has recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s president despite the reality that Maduro holds the office. The recognition came with a failed coup attempt and increased sanctions over the years. Venezuela reacted to Saab’s extradition by suspending talks with the US-backed opposition in Mexico.
Reports said after the extradition was announced, Venezuela detained five former US Citgo executives who were previously on house arrest. The former Citgo employees have been accused of embezzlement.
What goes around, comes around.
Yes, hope springs eternal, but another of our war criminals died yesterday without ever having to pay his account. And the old “fierce indignation” continues to lacerate the heart, no?
Seriously, I damned near upchucked when the MSM said there was only one word that comes to mind when one thinks of Colin Powell and that word is “dignity”. I guess hundreds of thousands dying needlessly didn’t come to mind otherwise that word wouldn’t have been “dignity”. Of course the bastard is dead now and everyone has to pretend he was wonderful.
Who sez Karma ain’t a bitch 😆
Does that meet the definition of Kangaroo justice?
Once again, Amerikkka convolutes what is or isn’t “legal”. And lord forbid that Venezuela and Iran (!!!) attempt to offer vital assistance to one another.
YOU are going to starve. YOU are going to die through deprivation of lifesaving medical supplies. Because, ahem, we don’t like your government.
No soup for you!
I am a paperback writer who never became famous. Therefore, it is possible I am mixing more fun ways of life with the poison reality of capitalist pigs who will do anything to get more. Please correct errors you may see in my opinion.
One of my stories was written for Hollywood and was rejected by a childhood friend who I later discovered worked on an obscure TV show called the Apprentice. (I don’t watch the tube). My story begins with a question; Will a peaceful relationship with Earth remain political fantasy? https://www.constituentassembly.org/Chapters/pacifica-web/Pacifica-ch0.html
I bring this up for a reason. Hugo Chávez invented a new and more advanced form of real democracy with a voting system that cannot be hacked by rich people. That is why the rich people who own the US government have worked so long and hard to destroy Venezuelan democracy. And also why Venezuela has proven so difficult for the rich people who run the US to destroy. Those same ugly rich US pigs had a similar problem in Bolivia and now Chile.
Back to US-Venezuela friction; Hugo Chávez was a simple barefoot boy from the country. He invented a six facet government. Here in the US, One cold winter day with nothing much to do, I decided to draw Hugo’s organization chart. To my surprise, Hugo’s invention is not a hierarchy, it is a multi petaled flower with humanity at the core.
Hugo Chávez died and I was not able to talk with him about his missing seventh facet. I’m sure he would have liked the seven facet organization structure at https://www.constituentassembly.org/ It is an improved democracy that rich capitalist pigs cannot tolerate and so far have not been able to destroy. Viva Venezuela. Viva la lucha.
I actually wept when Chavez died; he was one of my heroes.
There are a few reasons for the US animosity towards Venezuela.
1. It has a functioning socialist/communist economy/government. The US simply cannot allow these to go unmolested for fear of their debt slaves rebelling if shown it can work so well.
2. Venezuela has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. These may be extra heavy crude so hard to refine, but many US industries need that exact grade of heavy crude.
3. Stunningly beautiful beaches, country side and women. Wall Street could make a TRILLION dollars setting up private resorts and condos all along the coast with Venezuelan men and women as servants/sex slaves to wealthy from all over the world. Much like Cuba was before.
4. As noted, Venezuela has one of the best election systems in the world. Extremely difficult to rig by the US. That forces the US to go other routes in their regime change efforts.
If this is not terrorism what is? I m not being hyperbolic. They kidnapped and extradited a diplomat for trying to break an economic siege.
Well they tried to do it with China but when their lackey Canada took one the Chinese took two and it genuinely is the only way to deal with the warriors of the rules based international order.
I personally loved Chavez but sadly think Maduro is just a thug but seeing how Guido operated like giving jobs to people who with whatever little chance they had used it to screw over the Venezuelan Ltd dealing with oil it seems a thug like Maduro is far better option than that oabama wannabe who actually is a worse version of ghani
Terrorism squared.
Trying to get medicines to the Venezuelan populace. Such a crime…/s
The Chinese have demonstrated the way to deal with this terroristic lawfare waged by the US and its colonial servants.
Modern day Rendition. Pass an illegitimate law and use coercion to force countries to comply.
The US is the largest pirate state the World has ever known.
Who would have guessed that in a modern World of amazing technology and knowledge, we would have a giant troll stamping on countries without any fear of reprisal.