Venezuela sought to swap Americans for Maduro ally
Source: Associated Press
Venezuela sought to swap Americans for Maduro ally
By JOSHUA GOODMAN
October 28, 2021
MIAMI (AP) — Venezuela’s government quietly offered last year to release imprisoned Americans in exchange for the U.S. letting go a key financier of President Nicolás Maduro, according sources with knowledge of the proposal and message exchanges seen by The Associated Press.
The offer was discussed at a previously reported meeting in Mexico City in September 2020 between a top Maduro aide and Richard Grenell, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, one of the people involved in organizing the meeting said.
The offer, which was rejected by the Trump administration, has taken on new relevance following the extradition this month to Miami of businessman Alex Saab, who prosecutors believe was the main conduit for corruption in Maduro’s inner circle. In retaliation, Venezuela reimprisoned six executives of Houston-based Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant, who had been under house arrest.
A little over a year ago, Maduro’s government was looking to release the so-called Citgo 6 along with two former Green Berets tied to a failed cross-border raid in exchange for Saab, according to former Miami Congressman David Rivera, who says he helped organize the meeting.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-venezuela-miami-arrests-mexico-city-080bf19aa627f731c065a33a410ae2f1