Former Venezuelan general Clíver Antonio Alcalá Cordones, who was closely linked to the late President Hugo Chávez, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison by a United States court for supplying weapons to the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrilla.
Alcalá, 62, was one of the Chavista leaders accused of “narcoterrorism” for his alleged involvement in the Cartel de los Soles, a criminal organization that the United States Department of Justice accuses of flooding the country with cocaine. Along with him, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other prominent figures of the Venezuelan State are also accused of similar charges.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Manhattan Federal Court imposed the sentence on Alcalá after he pleaded guilty in June of last year. Prosecutor Damian Williams stated, “As one of the top commanders of the Venezuelan army and the Cartel de los Soles, Clíver Antonio Alcalá and his accomplices sought to use cocaine as a weapon by helping the FARC send tons of drugs to the United States.”
Alcalá surrendered to Colombian authorities in March 2020 to be extradited to the United States and collaborate with justice. He had remained detained in New York since then.
Alcalá is the first convicted in the “narcoterrorism” case in which President Maduro is also accused. Alcalá, who was one of Chávez’s closest collaborators during his rise to power, distanced himself from Maduro after the Venezuelan president’s death. He even publicly stated that he was included in the US indictment after distancing himself from Maduro.
The former general also revealed plans of a coup d’état with the Venezuelan opposition, which is why he was trafficking weapons between Colombia and Venezuela. He eventually surrendered and agreed to collaborate with the United States justice system.
Alcalá’s lawyers requested a reduced sentence of six years considering his cooperation with justice and participation in plans against Maduro, while prosecutors initially sought 30 years. The final sentence was set at 21 years.
The case highlights the ongoing international implications of the situation in Venezuela and the intersection of politics, drug trafficking, and violence in the region.