Until about two years ago, the name of Álex Saab was little known in public opinion, now, imprisoned in the United States and with a trial in progress, It is part of the many disagreements between the White House and Miraflores.
(Also read: Venezuelan Ombudsman rejects Alex Saab’s ‘arbitrary’ detention in the US)
From Washington he is accused of corruption, money laundering and being a figurehead for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but from Caracas it is insisted that although the citizen is of Colombian origin, he has Venezuelan nationality and diplomatic immunity for which they demand his release.
On October 16, 2021, Saab was extradited from Cape Verde to the US after a “false circular from Interpol,” Pedro Carvajalino, a member of the Free Álex Saab Movement, told EL TIEMPO.a group that insists not only on the innocence of the businessman, but also on the status of a diplomat that gives him immunityand that in the opinion of the movement has not been respected by the US government.
Marches, banners, messages through networks, pronouncements, books and soon the premiere of a documentary, are part of the activities of the movement made up of communicators, students, lawyers, political scientists, internationalists, sociologists and volunteers.
The movement #FreeAlexSaab will remain in the streets of Venezuela and the World, to demand the release of the Special Envoy.
“Alex Saab continues to fight” and will be released from the “Labyrinth of laws in which he finds himself”.pic.twitter.com/Drk1ks8hKS— Movement #FreeAlexSaab (@FreeAlexSaabOrg) August 22, 2022
In September 2019, the US accused Saab and several relatives of being involved in a corruption scheme and in 2020, the Colombian prosecutor’s office seized the businessman’s assets valued at 9 million dollars, goods that according to the prosecution were a facade to hide profits in imports and exports that would have been losses for the Colombian state.
But the Free Álex Saab Movement, which already has a presence in other countries, assures that the accusations against him are a plot to harm him, since it was Saab who was in charge of circumventing the economic sanctions that the United States imposed on Venezuela in the face of pressure. for overthrowing the government of Nicolás Maduro.
(Also read: Congresses of Venezuela and Colombia coordinate reestablishment of relations)
“Álex Saab has not received a visit” Carvajalino tells this newspaper, reiterating that this in itself is already a violation of the process, but also alludes to the fact that the 11 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela have been visited by the White House delegation that he was a few months ago in Caracas in his attempt to get closer to the Maduro government.
This delegation, led by the US ambassador to Venezuela, James Story and the negotiator for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens, held visits with the detainees, but in the case of Saab this has not been the case.
“We want the United States to have the will to fulfill agreements, they have visited the citizens here, Álex Saab has not received a visit,” insists Carvajalino, while believing that, unlike Trump, Joe Biden “is convenient” to return of its citizens.
The role of Colombia
Although Saab is Colombian, there are few efforts in favor of the citizen and although there is a group similar to Free Álex Saab, called “Colombians for the freedom of Álex Saab”Carvajalino considers that what President Gustavo Petro must take into account at this time is that the Barranquilla businessman is a kind of “precedent” in terms of respect for international law, which in his opinion has been violated by ignoring diplomatic immunity. .
For the movement, some factors in Colombia considered Saab a traitor for “helping” in the purchase of food from Venezuela in the midst of sanctions.
Given the reestablishment of relations announced between the two countries, “Free Álex Saab” hopes that upon the arrival of Armando Benedetti in Caracas, in his duties as ambassador, they can talk about the “efforts” they are making for the release of the Colombian-Venezuelan.
Saab’s weight has been such that as soon as his extradition was known, the dialogues between the ruling party and the Venezuelan opposition were suspended and one of the conditions is the release to resume the table.
ANA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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