Venezuela’s Executive Vice-president Delcy Rodríguez accused former deputy Juan Guaidó of leading an extreme right-wing criminal gang since he self-proclaimed “interim president” to try to steal the country’s resources following instructions of the United States.
In a press statement, and in the company of Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and President of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) Calixto Ortega, the Venezuelan vice-president pointed out that the extreme rightwing has worked as a criminal structure to get rich and finance conspiracy actions.
She explained these illegal actions include destabilization plans, foiled assassination attempts, mercenary actions to invade Venezuela such as Operation Gideon, and the seizure of assets under the instructions of the White House.
Rodríguez recalled that the BCV and Petróleos de Venezuela, S. A. (PDVSA) have been the target of a criminal dispossession that has been denounced by Venezuela on many occasions, and that since March 2020, when the first COVID-19 cases were registered, the country’s Government and institution have sought alternatives to free its frozen assets, but they have been denied.
In this regard, she presented a set of letters sent by the Venezuelan state to recover assets frozen overseas to address the sanitary crisis, and denounced that the responses they have received indicate these assets have been channeled by Guaidó to finance terrorist actions against the country.
“In March 2019, BCV’s assets in Citibank were transferred. They were frozen and channeled to the US Federal Reserve. They started stealing Venezuela’s resources,” said Rodríguez, who highlighted that it was done under the instruction of Guaidó.
“That’s why he transferred assets to invade Venezuela, to give the country up to foreign powers,” she said.
Over $7 billion in frozen assets
The Venezuelan vice-president denounced the South American nations has over $7 billion that have been blocked by unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US Government and its allies.
“We don’t need handouts; Venezuela has assets. Our country has over $7 billion blocked in banks, in addition to all its assets,” she said.
Rodríguez pointed out that the total assets retained by foreign governments amount to $30 billion, and reaffirmed that the Bolivarian Government has undertaken actions to free them and allocate them to face the impact of unilateral coercive measures and procure COVID-19 vaccines through the Covax mechanism.
Thorough Investigation
Vice-president Rodríguez announced the Venezuelan Government requested the Attorney General’s Office to conduct a thorough investigation to determine Juan Guaidó’s responsibility for the seizure of the country’s assets overseas and terrorist actions.
“We have requested Attorney General Tarek William Saab and his office, based on these criminal actions, robbery and seizure of the Venezuelan people’s resources, to conduct thorough investigations and determine Juan Guaidó’s and his criminal group’s responsibility for depriving the Venezuelan people of their right to health and life,” she said.
Rodríguez stressed this criminal group has taken up a genocide stance against the life and health of the Venezuelan people.
“We expect the Attorney General’s Office to conduct this investigation as expeditiously as possible,” stressed the Venezuelan vice-president.