The Colombian-born Saab, a close ally of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, was detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and then held in the US on bribery charges, before being granted clemency in 2023 in exchange for the release of Americans held in Venezuela. A lawyer for Saab, Luigi Giuliano, denied the arrest.
“It is simply not true that he has been arrested,” he told Reuters, adding there were no charges against Saab. “Today he wants to meet with the president for clarification,” Giuliano said.
Journalists aligned with Venezuela’s government also denied in social media posts that Saab had been taken into custody. Venezuela’s parliament president Jorge Rodriguez neither denied nor confirmed the â reports at an evening press conference, saying this was not under his remit and he had no information concerning the possible arrest.
–Reuters–
