Arrest warrants issued against former Venezuelan opposition deputies

( Spanish) — The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, announced this Monday that a control judge on terrorism issues ordered the capture of five people sworn in on January 5 as members of the board of directors of the National Assembly 2016-2021, which abrogates the legitimacy and representativeness of the country’s Legislative Power.

The arrest warrants and international red alert are against former parliamentarians Dinorah Figuera (president), Marianela Fernández (first vice president) and Auristela Vásquez (second vice president). Saab also mentioned the measures against José Figueredo Márquez and Luis Alberto Bustos, appointed as secretary and undersecretary respectively.

The former deputies “claim to be directors of a National Assembly that expired in 2021,” Saab said.

The Maduro government also requested an international red alert against these five people, as well as a seizure measure, asset seizure, blocking and immobilization of accounts, and a prohibition to dispose of or encumber assets.

The Venezuelan attorney general accused Figuera, Fernández and Vásquez for the crimes of usurpation of functions, treason, money laundering and criminal association.

Saab assured that Figuera and Vásquez live in Spain, while Fernández resides in the United States. All were abroad at the time of their appointment. He said that they will ask these countries for his extradition.

consulted the State Department about what the US position would be in the event that the arrest request against the 5 former opposition deputies arrives, but has not yet received a response.

The announcement by the Venezuelan Public Ministry comes after the plenary session of the parallel National Assembly, with the majority of the opposition organizations Acción Democrática, Un Nuevo Tiempo and Primero Justicia, decided to topple the so-called interim government, chaired by the deputy Juan Guaidó and that he never had territorial control of Venezuela. In 2019 Guaidó was sworn in as interim president, became recognized by the United States and more than 60 countries, and gained control of some Venezuelan assets in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The former deputies, who do not have any power to legislate or exercise comptroller functions, announced that they will create a special commission to protect those assets.

Washington does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela because it considers that the May 2018 elections, won by the president, were not fair, free and transparent. But instead Spain, after supporting the group of countries that ignored Maduro, has resumed its diplomatic relationship with the Chavista regime. At the end of 2022, he appointed a new ambassador in Caracas.