Venezuela rejects US interference in defense of fugitive Juan Guaidó (Communiqué)

Through an official Communiqué, the Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, rejected on behalf of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the statements made by the US State Department in defense of the fugitive from Venezuelan justice Juan Guaidó, “since it constitutes an attempt to hinder the free performance of the national Public Powers.”

It is worth remembering that the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, announced the appointment of prosecutors 77, 73 and 74, with national jurisdiction, to issue arrest warrants and the respective Interpol red alert against the fugitive Juan Guaidó, after a Federal Court of the United States (USA), released an official document which records crimes by the former Venezuelan deputy against the interests of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the theft of assets from PDVSA, for an amount close to 20 billion of dollars.

Following, the full text of the Communiqué:

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically rejects the recent statements coming from the US Department of State in defense of the fugitive from Venezuelan justice, Juan Guaidó, since they constitute an attempt to hinder the free exercise of the Powers national publics and constitutes an unacceptable interference in matters that are the exclusive responsibility of Venezuelans.

Mr. Guaidó is being investigated in our country for the premeditated and negligent management of assets belonging to the Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. company (PDVSA), which have generated large losses, a fact corroborated by the US system itself, through the recent revelations of a court in the state of Delaware in the US, which has indicated personal use by the accused of more than 19,000 million dollars.

Venezuela is a sovereign country and demands respect for its laws and institutions. We condemn any attempt to minimize corruption with political justifications and demand that the government of the United States of America adhere to the universal principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of countries and respect the commitments to combat organized crime.

Handing over the accused to the Venezuelan authorities so that his judicial process can be followed with all the guarantees of the law would be the best demonstration that the United States is truly committed to the fight against corruption.”

Caracas, October 7, 2023.”