After the extradition, the Venezuelan government demanded that the United States release Saab as soon as possible
On November 1, local time, the U.S. department of justice revoked 7 of the 8 charges against Venezuelan "special envoy" Alex Saab in order to comply with Cape Verde's extradition regulations and provide justification for the previous forced extradition. Previously, Saab's lawyer had spoken out on Oct. 28, announcing that he would "not plead guilty at the hearing."
The United States charged Saab in 2019 with "money laundering," which was arrested in Cape Verde in June of the same year. After more than a year of tug-of-war, on October 16 this year, the United States forcibly extradited Saab to the United States in disregard of Cape Verde's extradition regulations, and appeared in court for trial on the 18th. In this regard, Venezuelan President Maduro angrily accused the United States of "kidnapping" Venezuelan diplomats and demanded that the United States release people immediately. Who is Saab who can make the United States desperately tie people to its homeland?
The Saab case can be described as another typical case of the United States exercising long-arm jurisdiction to brutally suppress anti-American countries. Saab, 49, is a "special envoy" of Venezuela's Maduro government and a key figure in helping Venezuela break through the US economic blockade and purchase important supplies. Due to the long-term opposition to the US suppression of Venezuela and the Left in Latin America, since Maduro was re-elected as president in May 2018, the United States has vigorously supported the opposition on the one hand, and established the dissident leader Guaido as the "acting president" on the other hand, on the other hand, imposing economic sanctions and blocking the Commission in conjunction with the European Union, resulting in the supply of basic materials in Venezuela becoming a problem.
In this context, The Colombian businessman Saab stands out, having been involved in the government's affordable housing program as a building materials buyer in the Chávez era and has established a mutual trusting partnership with the Chávez faction for many years. After Venezuela was blockaded by the United States, Saab cooperated with the Venezuelan military to participate in the "Food Bag Program", that is, to assist the government in circumventing the US blockade for international procurement, and regularly distributing basic supplies to the people. To this end, Saab was appointed by Venezuela as a "special envoy" to visit allied countries and holds a diplomatic passport to protect his personal interests.
In 2018, the Trump administration included Saab on the list of Venezuelan sanctions officials and froze Saab's assets in the United States; in 2019, he sued Saab for seven crimes, including money laundering, saying that he used multiple international channels, including the United States, to "launder money" for the Maduro government. In June 2019, while Saab's private jet was transiting in Cape Verde, the Police of Sri Lanka arrested him. Although the United States claimed not to have commanded or participated in the arrest, the fact is that during the operation, the United States warships sailed directly into the waters of Cape Verde, and the intention of "suppressing the front" for the operation is self-evident.
The extradition of Saab from Cape Verde to the United States not only violates Cape Verde's own extradition regulations, but is also opposed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. In September, the United Nations Human Rights Council recommended that the United States "shelve the extradition proposal for the time being," which was ignored by the United States. Under the influence of the United States, the Cape Verde Senate finally voted to pass the transfer proposal, handing Saab to the United States for disposal.
The arrested Colombian businessman, Saab, was a key figure in Venezuela's breakout of the U.S. economic blockade
It is worth mentioning that after the Biden administration came to power, it once showed a moderate and friendly attitude toward the Maduro government on the surface, and as an intermediary to coordinate the dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition, in fact, behind the scenes, various forces were manipulated to further encircle and pressure the Committee. In mid-August, the Venezuelan government and opposition representatives negotiated a dialogue in Mexico City and signed a memorandum of understanding on political rights, electoral guarantees and schedules, and the lifting of sanctions; in September, the Venezuelan government and the opposition again reached an agreement on territorial sovereignty, resolving domestic food and medical supplies, and responding to external sanctions. On the day of Saab's extradition, a new round of Venezuelan dialogue between the government and the opposition was taking place in Mexico City. After Learning of the change, Maduro indignantly accused the United States of being a "stab in the back to undermine Venezuela's peace" and immediately announced the suspension of the dialogue scheduled for the opposition in Mexico on the 17th, in order to show strong protest against the United States' gross violation of Saab's human rights and Venezuela's diplomatic dignity.
Some media pointed out that the direct purpose of the United States extradite Saab is to cut off the supply channels of the Maduro government, thereby further increasing its ruling pressure and domestic contradictions. In fact, the political influence of the Saab case has far exceeded that of Venezuela alone. The "buyer's envoy" who sentenced Venezuela is false, and it is true to promote the plea bargain and obtain intelligence from Saab's mouth. The United States wants to get more evidence against the Maduro government through Saab, so as to achieve the goal of "falling horses" as soon as possible, and at the same time, it can also deter other countries in the world that support the Maduro regime. In addition, the right-wing governments of many Latin American countries have successively declared failures in recent years, prompting a trend of left-wing political forces returning to the political arena in Latin America. Through the Saab case and the "back horse" operation, the United States can also effectively hedge against the resurgence of left-wing forces in Latin America and consolidate the ruling position for right-wing ally governments. After Saab's extradition, many countries have followed the United States to make clear their positions: Ecuador immediately proposed to launch a review of former President Correra's collusion with Saab during his administration, and Saab's motherland, Colombia, maintained the consistent posture of a US ally and said that it would do its best to help the United States investigate the Saab case.
Ultimately, the final direction of Saab's case still depends on his own decision. In a letter to his wife, Saab said he "would not admit what he had not done." He also specifically stated that he would continue to fight alive, and if he was detained and encountered an accident, he must have been assassinated. According to US media reports, the initial sentence imposed on Saab by the US prosecutor is 25 years in prison, and he tries to reach an agreement with Saab during the trial or on preferential terms such as withdrawing the lawsuit and reducing his sentence. Saab's ultimate attitude will not only determine his personal fate, but will also influence the political direction of Venezuela and beyond.
Author: Zhang Junrong
Editor: Shen Qinhan