Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab at a public event. Photo: Instagram/@mpublicove.
The attorney general of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, called for cooperation between the US and Venezuela in investigation of corruption by opposition politicians Juan Guaidó and Carlos Vecchio involving funds received through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) over the past decade.
At a press conference on Thursday, February 6, the Venezuelan attorney general called upon the US authorities “to provide us with all the information of this investigation that they are conducting on US soil, so that it can be assessed in a coordinated manner and we can act according to the terms established by the Constitution and Venezuelan law.”
Attorney General Saab added that, for two years, his office has been conducting an investigation in this regard. As part of this investigation, an arrest warrant was issued against Juan Guaidó for his actions causing losses of approximately $20 billion for the Venezuelan company CITGO in the US.
FBI Investigates Juan Guaidó and Carlos Vecchio for Misappropriation of USAID Funds
“We requested this arrest warrant due to the crimes of treason, misappropriation of functions, profit or funds, securities or public goods, money laundering, and criminal association,” Saab recounted. “We have 29 cases against these individuals, Guaidó and Vecchio, who were recipients of millions of dollars from USAID for so-called humanitarian aid.”
He highlighted that these criminals have instrumentalized issues such as humanitarian aid, human rights, and aid to migrants to steal billions of dollars. Therefore, now that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation to determine the whereabouts of that money, Saab has asked for the necessary cooperation to act in the case, as established by Venezuelan laws.
“It is time for international criminal cooperation,” he stated, stressing the importance of clarifying the facts and guaranteeing justice.
(RedRadioVE) by Victoria Torres
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
