Venezuela govt cancels talks with opposition over US extradition of Nicolas Maduro's ally

Venezuelan administration anunced on Saturday that it would suspend negotiations with opposition, scheduled to resume this week, following extradition of President Nicholas Maduro’s close ally, Alex Saab, to USA. 

Talks between Maduro government and opposition leader Juan Guaidó were scheduled to resume on Sunday, October 17, in Mexico. However, on Saturday, Jorge Rodriguez, who heads government's negotiating team, said that y would t attend talks as an “expression of protest” against “brutal aggression” meted out to Colombian businessman Alex Saab. 

Saab, a Colombian entrepreneur, also holds a diplomatic passport issued by Nicholas Maduro led government. fugitive, along with his business partner Alvaro Pulido, is charged with money laundering in US. In June last year, he was detained in Cape Verde, where his plane reportedly stopped to refuel on its way to Iran. 

Presidential crisis and US sanctions 

While President Nicolas Maduro says he democratically won 2019 presidential elections, opposition parties, thousands of Venezuelans, European Union, USA and several or Latin American countries claim orwise.

In December last year, country’s opposition, led by Juan Guaidó quit Parliament in protest. Taking opportunity, Maduro gained ‘total control’ of legislative body. Earlier this year, apparent ‘undemocratic’ move attracted ire of European bloc, which n, expanded its list of sanctions adding 19 Venezuelan officials for "undermining democracy" and human rights abuses. As of w, 55 members of Maduro's regime have been targeted by asset freezes and travel bans by EU and US.

move is expected to worsen ties between US and Venezuela. Last month, Caracas said that America’s crippling sanctions on Venezuela are hampering its technical cooperation programme with UN's nuclear watchdog. Speaking virtually at 65th General Conference of International Atomic Energy ncy (IAEA), country's deputy minister of New Sources and Rational Use of Electric Energy Tania Masea asserted that ‘illegal’ sanctions have limited “acquisition, installation and maintenance of equipment or supplies within technical cooperation program" with IAEA. 

(Im: AP)