Venezuelan Attorney General Requests Arrest and Extradition of Opposition Leaders Leopoldo López and Julio Borges
In a recent development, the Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, has requested an arrest and extradition order against prominent opposition leaders Leopoldo López and Julio Borges. The request is based on allegations that the two exiles received benefits of more than US$1 billion.
During a press conference, Saab presented a video showing imprisoned businessman Samark López, who is accused of collaborating with former President of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), Tareck El Aissami, in a corruption network known as PDVSA-crypto. In the video, Samark López mentioned two Venezuelan contractors who are allegedly connected to López and Borges.
CNN has reached out to verify the authenticity of the video and has contacted the Prosecutor’s Office for further details. The Venezuelan Public Ministry is known to present video testimonies in cases of high political sensitivity.
The arrest of Samark López, along with Tareck El Aissami and Simón Zerpa, was reported by the Prosecutor’s Office on April 12. Leopoldo López, a co-founder of the Primero Justicia party, was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to more than 13 years in prison on charges including public instigation and criminal association. He later served the rest of his sentence under house arrest and eventually sought refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas before moving to Madrid in 2020.
Julio Borges, former coordinator of the Primero Justicia party, has also faced legal troubles in Venezuela, with arrest warrants issued for alleged treason, conspiracy, and association. He currently resides in Spain after being granted political asylum by Colombia in 2018.
CNN is actively seeking comments from the legal representatives of Leopoldo López and Julio Borges regarding these latest accusations. The situation continues to unfold as the Venezuelan government intensifies its crackdown on opposition figures.