The United States releases Alex Saab, Maduro's alleged front man, in exchange for 20 Venezuelans and 10 Americans

The United States has freed Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close collaborator of the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, in exchange for Venezuela's release of ten American citizens and twenty Venezuelan prisoners.

In a call with journalists, senior White House officials confirmed the agreement that has required from the president, Joe Biden, the “extremely difficult” but “correct” decision to release Saab, and also explained that among those released by From the Maduro government is Roberto Abdul, president of the Venezuelan NGO Súmate.

As part of the agreement, Venezuela also agrees to extradite to the United States the American military contractor Leonard Francis, known as “Fat Leonard”, alleged responsible for one of the largest corruption scandals in the US military.

White House officials explained that the agreement is related only to the release of prisoners and does not include any lifting of sanctions on Venezuela.

The pact has arrived after many months of arduous negotiations and they admitted the important concession made by the United States, but they valued the return home of ten Americans and the release of the twenty Venezuelans as a new democratizing “step” by the Government of Ripe.

They stressed that the United States will continue to evaluate its sanctions policy, always pending the steps that Venezuela takes towards holding free elections in 2024.

To carry out this exchange, they explained, Biden has had to make the “very difficult decision to offer something that the Venezuelan counterparts have actively sought” and that is the release of Saab.

But they stressed that the consequence of this decision is that Americans “unjustly detained” in Venezuela will be able to return to their families, in addition to “guaranteeing that one of the most notorious fugitives from justice is returned and held accountable for his crimes,” alluding to to Leonard Francis.

Extradited to the US in 2021

Saab, arrested in Cape Verde in June 2020, was extradited on October 16, 2021 to the United States, where he faces federal charges for allegedly laundering up to $350 million defrauded through the Venezuelan exchange control system.

According to the accusation, between November 2011 and September 2015, Saab and his right-hand man, Álvaro Pulido – arrested in April of this year in the Caribbean country for alleged corruption -, conspired with other individuals to launder their illicit profits and transfer them from Venezuela even bank accounts in the US, which is why Washington has jurisdiction in the case.

As explained by the American spokespersons, the agreement resulting today has been the result of several months of negotiations, active internal deliberations and periodic consultations with President Biden, “who has been informed of every step of this process.”

They confirmed on the other hand that in these negotiations the Venezuelan opposition has also been consulted for its “active participation”, including the presidential candidate María Corina Machado.

As they explained, on the other hand, the release of the twenty Venezuelans is part of the agreement reached in Barbados but also part of these conversations.

They also assured that Saab's release is part of Biden's power to grant pardons – although the Colombian had not yet been tried – and “does not interfere” with the investigations that the Department of Justice may have underway.