RTFri, 06 Sep 2019 17:37 UTC
© Agence France-PresseJuan Guaidó, the head of Venezuela's opposition, tried and failed to oust Nicolás Maduro in April, 2019.
A criminal investigation has been launched into Venezeulan opposition leader Juan Guaido and several key advisers after the government led by President Nicolas Maduro accused them of acts of treason.
Venezuelan Prosecutor general Tarek Saab announced the move on Friday. Guaido was allegedly involved in negotiating away Venezuela's "historical claim" to the territory of Esequibo, which is formally under the administration of Guyana.
© teleSURVenezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez
On Thursday, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
offered evidence in the form of phone records in which adviser Manuel Avendaño allegedly discussed with Venezuelan-American diplomat Vanessa Neumann relinquishing claims to the Esequibo region.
"The criminal organization headed by Juan Guaidó had initiated concrete actions to illegally appropriate Venezuela's assets, financial resources, Venezuelan gold, Venezuelan debt, to enrich themselves and to serve transnational interests," Rodriguez said.
© WikipediaThe striped area is claimed by Venezuela
A vestige of South America's colonial history, the dispute over Esequibo is long in the making, dating back centuries to squabbling between the Spanish, Dutch, and eventually British Empires. In the 20th century Venezuela and Guyana have been trying to settle the matter through UN. More recently, however, conflict over the territory has been tied to natural resources, eyed by companies like ExxonMobile. Last year, a standoff broke out between the Venezuelan Navy and vessels of the energy firm searching for oil in the region with Guyana's permission, forcing the surveyors to turn back.
Comment: teleSUR
reported on 26 June 2019:
"What Guaido doesn't know, is that we had people in all the meetings where they planned hits on members of the government; we have all the recordings, videos and information necessary to face down a coup," Rodriguez told reporters.
Among the governments involved in the financing of the cup, according to Rodriguez's statements, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera, the Colombian President Ivan Duque as well as the government of the United States in Washington.
In one of the videos revealed by the minister, one senior figure within the coup, known as 'Marina' "I told them, the support of the gringos and an intervention is necessary."
In another video, a soldier who was part of the April 30 coup attempt in Venezuela revealed the involvement of two foreigners in the operation, one from Panama, one from Israel.
Rodriguez went on to reveal that during the most recent coup attempt, there were also plans for a coup within the opposition leadership against Juan Guaido, who had illegally declared himself an "interim president" of Venezuela in January.
Evidence collected by the Venezuela government and intelligence also showed that Guaido had paid another opposition figure to ensure that former general Baduel not be released, as Baduel was head of a rival opposition faction.
As evidence of these accusations, the vice president presented the same statements made by Piñera, Duque and U.S. National Security Advisor, John Bolton, in which they assure that Maduro's government has little time left.
New charges added to the obvious:
[Link]