In last week’s joint statement in which they listed a series of goals to be met with the reestablishment of relations between the two countries, Brazil and Venezuela cited the fight against crimes of which the dictator Nicolás Maduro himself is accused.
Among the items cited in the document is “establishing binational coordination mechanisms with a view to combating organized crime, drug and firearms trafficking and other related crimes.”
In 2020, the US Department of Justice placed Maduro and 14 current and former top Venezuelan officials on a list of those accused of narcoterrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges.
The joint declaration between Brazil and Venezuela also mentions the objective of “acting together to identify and curb cross-border crimes related to mining, including in areas of environmental preservation and in indigenous territories, and to the illegal trade in gold”.
Maduro is accused of having increased crime and devastation in the Venezuelan Amazon through the failed Arco Mineiro do Orinoco project.
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlighted that “the Maduro regime has used state-owned companies and security forces to legitimize criminal mineral extraction, collaborating with criminal groups to mine, process and transport minerals” .
“In almost all stages of the mining process, the State security forces take their share, supplying what is now one of the most corrupt countries in the world”, highlighted the CSIS.
Last week’s joint statement also emphasizes “the need to increase the coordination of intelligence agencies and strengthen the information networks of the two countries”. Read the full article on the subject.
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