Crime & justice

Maduro Ally Alex Saab Pleads Guilty in $195M US Graft Case

Was Saab a tortured pawn traded away without due process or a fraudster who looted food aid from starving Venezuelans?

Published 1 day ago

Maduro Ally Alex Saab Pleads Guilty in $195M US Graft Case

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Above: Nicolás Maduro (4th from left) greets Alex Saab (M) after the latter's release from a U.S. prison on Dec. 20, 2023. Image credit: Jesus Vargas/picture alliance/Getty Images

The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Alex Saab was tortured and used as a pawn after the regime handed him over without any formal extradition process, trading him for OFAC licenses and an embassy. The man who helped Venezuela survive brutal U.S. sanctions was sacrificed while his wife sat locked up in El Helicoide. Now comes the predictable show trial aimed at Maduro.

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Pro-establishment narrative

Saab admitted to skimming hundreds of millions from CLAP, a program meant to feed starving Venezuelans, using shell companies, fake invoices and phony shipping records. A $195 million forfeiture and a cooperation deal prove that looting humanitarian aid and abusing U.S. financial channels brings real consequences.

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