CARACAS.- The Venezuelan Public Ministry issued arrest warrants against several opposition leaders, as well as members of candidate María Corina Machado’s team, whom it links to an alleged “conspiracy” in which companies inside and outside Venezuela would be related with the aim of affecting the referendum on Essequibo that took place on Sunday, December 3.
The regime’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, announced that arrest warrants were dictated against Yon Goicoechea, Juan Guaido, Lester Toledo, Leopoldo Lopez, Carlos Vecchio, Julio Borges, David Smolansky, all in exile.
“After several investigative procedures, a series of financing was identified from the money laundering of international organizations and foreign companies such as ExxonMobil to conspire against the development of the consultative referendum for Guayana Esequiba,” said Maduro’s prosecutor.
In addition, the arrest warrants include the president of the NGO Súmate and former member of the National Primary Commission, Roberto Abdúul. Likewise to two dissident Chavistas: Andrés Izarra and Rafael Ramírez, who held ministerial positions in the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.
Likewise, the arrest of two American citizens was ordered: Savoi Jandon Wright and Damián Merlo, who is a former telecommunications businessman and is linked to the government of former President Donald Trump, according to Saab.
Saab added that the capture of three members of Machado’s team was also ordered: Henry Alviárez, national organizational coordinator of the Vente Venezuela party; Pedro Urruchurtu, coordinator of International Relations of the Machado campaign and of International Affairs of Vente Venezuela, and Claudia Mancero, communications coordinator of the candidate.
The regime’s prosecutor stated that the political leaders, together with Alviárez, directed “destabilizing and conspiratorial” actions, previously sponsored by a group of individuals who, according to the dictatorship’s prosecutor, are abroad.
The Chavista official said that all of them will be charged with the crimes of treason, conspiracy, money laundering and criminal association.
Source: EDITORIAL / With information from El Nacional / La Patilla
