Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab has revealed harrowing details of the alleged torture he endured during his captivity in a recent podcast with President Nicolás Maduro. Saab, who was released by the United States and handed over to Venezuela on December 20, shared previously undisclosed information about his capture and imprisonment.
According to Saab, he was initially detained in Cape Verde on June 12, 2020, after being denied entry to Algeria while on a diplomatic mission for Venezuela. He recounted being forcefully taken off the plane, where he was pushed and later transferred to a prison on the Island of Sal, then to another prison with a dark room where he was deprived of food and light.
Saab described his ordeal, stating that he endured physical and psychological torture, including being cut, beaten, and subjected to bright lights and alcohol. He claimed that three of his teeth were knocked out due to frequent beatings, all in an attempt to coerce him into making false confessions against the Maduro government – something he consistently refused to do.
After an investigation, the prison director was fired due to the torture, and Saab’s living conditions slightly improved. He was then transferred to a guarded house, where he continued to face psychological pressure from his guards.
Saab also detailed his time in the United States, where he was kept in a small glass cell, deprived of food and water, and left in uncertainty about his fate. He was finally released from the U.S. on December 20, 2023, and taken to Venezuela.
This shocking revelation provides a glimpse into the alleged mistreatment and abuse faced by Saab during his imprisonment. The podcast is expected to further fuel the debate surrounding human rights abuses and due process, particularly in cases with political implications.