(Caracas) Jorge Rodriguez, one of the key men in Venezuelan power, asked the opposition to stop its “hypocrisy” on Wednesday when he was reappointed as president of the National Assembly elected in 2020 while the opposition boycotted the ballot.
“Do you want dialogue? Hypocrisy is enough! Do you want dialogue? Free Alex Saab! », Launched Mr. Rodriguez who was the head of the delegation of power during negotiations with the opposition in Mexico.
Caracas suspended in October these negotiations initiated in August in reaction to the extradition of Cape Verde to the United States of Alex Saab, considered an important intermediary of Venezuelan power and close to President Nicolas Maduro, accused of money laundering. by American justice.
The authorities pose the release of Alex Saab and the resumption of control by Caracas of Venezuelan assets abroad as conditions for the resumption of dialogue intended to get the country out of the political crisis.
Of Colombian nationality, Alex Saab, to whom President Nicolas Maduro had issued a diplomatic passport, should according to the Venezuelan authorities appear at the negotiating table.
In parallel, while the parliamentary session traditionally opens on January 5 with the election of its presidents, the opposition leader Juan Guaidó organized a similar protocol ceremony in a park in Caracas.
President of the Assembly elected in 2015, Mr. Guaidó, who proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in 2019, promised “to face the dictatorship”.
“What remains of the Republic […] is in today’s ceremony […] The Republic is not going to be lost, the Republic, we are going to bring it back to life, ”he said.
Backed by the United States and part of the international community, Juan Guaidó controls Venezuelan assets abroad, essentially a billion dollars of gold deposited in the Bank of England and control of companies like Citgo in the States. -United.