Venezuela Exchanges Prisoners to Washington
People close to Venezuelan power want to exchange American prisoners with Alex Chapp, who will be in prison in the United States from October 2021.
The “Free Alex Chap” movement held a press conference in Bogotá on Monday, August 15, 2022.
AFP
On Monday, pro-Venezuela activists proposed the “exchange” of US citizens detained in Venezuela starting in October 2021.
“This (exchange) looks like a good opportunity for us,” King Lopez, spokesman for the “Free Alex Chopp” movement, told a news conference. Colombian nationalized Venezuela, Alex Sapp was extradited from Cape Verde to the United States in June 2020 after his flight was grounded in the African archipelago. Caracas describes the arrest as illegal, as Alex Saab holds a diplomatic passport, according to Venezuelan authorities.
“Here in Venezuela there are American prisoners serving long terms, some for attempting to assassinate the president, others for economic crimes against the nation. (…) If an exchange can be made, the best, because we will bring back our diplomat”, noted Roy Lopez.
Two Americans were released in March
Two Americans detained in Venezuela were freed in March after a high-level White House delegation visited Caracas: Gustavo Cardenas, a former executive at Cidco Group, a subsidiary of public oil giant PDVSA, convicted of corruption. , and Cuban-American Jorge Alberto Fernandez, who was arrested at the Colombian border in early 2021 and charged with “terrorism.”
Washington is demanding the release of former soldier Matthew Heath, who was arrested in September 2020, described as a “spy” and accused of wanting to attack oil and electricity installations. Venezuela and the United States severed ties in early 2019 after Washington disapproved of Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, which it deemed “fraudulent.”
“Pressure” on Washington
“Free Alex Chap” members have called on relatives of Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to “put pressure” on Washington. “All options are on the table,” said another spokesman, Pedro Carvajalino.
“The United States is doing more to free one basketball player in Russia than more than 10 American citizens in Venezuela,” he added, citing the case of star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug trafficking in Russia.
After failed attempts in the Dominican Republic in 2018 and Barbados in 2019, Venezuela’s government and opposition resumed talks in Mexico in August 2021. But these were frozen by Caracas two months later in retaliation for the extradition of Alex Sapp.
AFP
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