Venezuela’s foreign minister demands the immediate US release of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, calling their detention illegal.
GENEVA: Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto has demanded the immediate release of former president Nicolas Maduro and his wife from United States custody.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Gil called for “the immediate release by the government of the United States of America of the constitutional president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro Moros, and his wife, the first lady Cilia Flores”.
Maduro, who ruled Venezuela from March 2013 until his capture by US forces on January 3, is currently detained alongside his wife awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.
The 63-year-old former leader has pleaded not guilty to the charges and declared himself a “prisoner of war”.
Gil described the January raid as an illegal military action that resulted in more than 100 deaths and the arbitrary detention of the couple.
He stated that despite the profound technological and military asymmetry between Venezuela and the nuclear-armed US, his country had chosen to open a diplomatic channel to resolve differences.
Venezuela’s top diplomat stressed the need for international cooperation based on the legal equality of states and dialogue between nations.
Gil also highlighted that Venezuela was working towards a process of acknowledging past wounds, forgiveness, and reconciliation, referencing a new amnesty law.
The legislature unanimously adopted the landmark amnesty law last Thursday, which interim leader Delcy Rodriguez hailed as a step toward a more democratic, fairer, and freer Venezuela.
The new legislation, however, has drawn criticism from opposition figures for appearing to include carve-outs for some offences previously used to target Maduro’s political opponents.
It explicitly does not apply to those prosecuted for promoting or facilitating armed actions against Venezuela’s sovereignty by foreign actors, accusations Rodriguez has levelled against opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The law also excludes members of the security forces convicted of terrorism-related activities but extends to 11,000 political prisoners who were paroled or placed under house arrest over nearly three decades.
