Duque hopes that businessman Saab will reveal Maduro’s “narco-dictatorship”

The President of Colombia, Ivan DuqueHe affirmed that he hopes that the testimony of the Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who is about to appear before the US justice system, will reveal the “narco-dictatorship” of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

“I hope that all the contributions that Alex Saab makes to the United States justice also show what is behind this network and it is a narco-dictatorship that has tried to use this network to launder money,” Duque told the media from Sao Paulo, during an official visit.

The conservative president, one of the main critics of Chavismo, has repeatedly denounced that the Venezuelan government supports itself with the money from drug trafficking, in addition to giving refuge to irregular groups.

“I hope that it will also serve to consolidate the complaints that Colombia has been making for some time, which is that collusion that the Maduro regime has with terrorist groups and drug traffickers,” added the president.

Saab will appear in Florida court after being extradited from Cape Verde, where he was arrested in 2020.

This 49-year-old Colombian businessman with Venezuelan nationality is one of the key elements of the Maduro government. The opposition points out that he is their “front man.”

The United States accuses him and his partner Álvaro Pulido, whose whereabouts are unknown, of running a network that exploited a system of food subsidies in Venezuela.

Duque added that he has provided information to US authorities about Colombian companies that allegedly served to launder that money.

“We have provided important evidence to OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) and to the United States authorities showing the money laundering networks where there are many front companies in our country,” he added.

Experts believe that Saab’s testimony could reveal hidden financial gears of Caracas and its allied countries.

But despite facing a 20-year prison sentence, Saab said he will not cooperate with justice.

Colombia and Venezuela have not had diplomatic relations since 2019, when Duque recognized as president, along with fifty other countries, the opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

After Saab’s extradition, the Maduro government “suspended its participation” in the dialogue process it maintains with the Venezuelan opposition in Mexico.