Colombian political leader Piedad Cordoba. File photo.
Former Colombian senator Piedad Córdoba announced that she will sue Ecuadorian politician Fernando Villavicencio, who accused Córdoba of having links with criminal elements. Villavicencio made similar accusations against Venezuelan diploma Alex Saab, as part of the media circus surrounding the ongoing lawfare case and Saab’s pending trial in the US.
Córdoba warned the extreme-right Ecuadorean spokesperson that she would bring him before the corresponding legal authorities to answer for the unfounded statements against her. “Mr. Villavicencio, you’ve made me angry now,” Córdoba said. “If you were looking for me, you found me.”
Un tal Fernando Villavicencio, un politiquero de derecha de Ecuador, viene a montar una pantomima barata contra mí. Su odio contra expresidente Correa lo lleva a arrastrar a todo el mundo sin mirar a quién
Preparo proceso judicial contra ese miserable. Águilas no cazan moscas!!
— Piedad Córdoba (@piedadcordoba) January 10, 2022
RELATED CONTENT: Colombia and Ecuador Join the Lawfare Campaign Against Alex Saab
“Mr. Villavicencio, I am telling you now,” added Córdoba, “don’t come around later with conciliations or retractions, because I am not going to accept them. You are miserable, and opportunistic, and you will answer for your actions in court.”
Villavicencio, a member of Ecuador’s parliament, alleged that Córdoba collaborated with Saab in illegal business dealings, echoing Washington’s accusation against Saab, who continues to be illegally detained in the United States awaiting trial.
The relationship between Saab and Córdoba
In an interview with Colombian magazine Semana, Córdoba said that she has no relationship with the Venezuelan diplomat. “I have nothing to do with Mr. Saab,” she said, “that man did not need me at all for anything.”
“That Villavicencio guy should be on alert, because I’m fed up with him,” Córdoba added. “I’m going to denounce him, and I will charge him.”
RELATED CONTENT: President Maduro: Washington Sabotaged Mexico Talks (Ambassador Alex Saab)
Señora @piedadcordoba Ud dice que soy “un hijo de puta”, le recuerdo que mi apellido es Villavicencio. Mientras Ud profiere graves amenazas en mi contra, yo exhibo documentos que confirman su relación con #AlexSaab Atender @DianaSalazarM2 @IvanDuque @LassoGuillermo @FiscaliaCol https://t.co/d6caJ5MYDA pic.twitter.com/nuVBOUpahu
— Fernando Villavicencio Valencia (@VillaFernando_) January 8, 2022
Similarly, she explained that Villavicencio’s interest in discrediting her lies in the fact that he is an opponent of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. “He has an obsession,” said Córdoba, evidenced by Villavicencio’s dedication to persecuting the leader of the Citizen’s Revolution and all his relatives, as part of the lawfare campaign against Correa initiated by former Ecuadorean president Lenín Moreno, following Washington dictates.
Córdoba also said that she was contacted by an official from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who offered her $10 million to testify against Alex Saab and Nicolás Maduro.
“How would I know what Nicolás Maduro is doing?” Córdoba asked. “I am not his mistress, nor the minister of anything.”
Córdoba has been one of the few Colombian politicians who has supported the Bolivarian Revolution for years, frequently speaking up in defense of Hugo Chávez and other Venezuelan politicians who are relentless attacked in Colombia, and now in Ecuador, by vicious and unfounded smear campaigns.
Featured image: Colombian political leader Piedad Córdoba. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by José Manuel Blanco Díaz
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
