Venezuelan has responded after Juan Manuel Santos announced last week that the Colombian government has offered asylum to former Venezuelan Prosecutor General, Luisa Ortega. Ortega, a loyalist to former president Hugo Chávez, has criticized Maduro for subverting democracy and the country’s constitution.
Venezuela’s new Prosecutor General, Tarek Saab, referred to Luisa Ortega as a fugitive in a statement. He said that Colombia is the “epicenter of the international conspiracy against Venezuela”. Saab was named to the post after the new Constituent Assembly removed Luisa Ortega on August 5.
Luisa Ortega has been accused of treason and corruption as leader of the Prosecutor’s Office in Venezuela. The chargers are widely thought to be politically motivated.
On Friday, Ortega fled from Venezuela with her husband, Germán Ferrer, a congressman who formerly supported Maduro’s regime, after being prosecuted and pursued by Saab and the Prosecutor’s office.
“Santos is continuing with the repugnant tradition of former presidents in his country of giving asylum to terrorist-associated and drug-traffic-related Venezuelans“, Saab said.
Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Relations, also slammed Santos’ decision, categorizing it as “cynical” and accusing Santos of “protecting corruption and crime in Venezuela”.
“Bogotá has become the center of the conspiracy against democracy and peace in Venezuela”, he added.
Venezuela often uses foreign governments to rally support, blaming the United States and Colombia for the economic and social crisis that is unfolding in the country.
Colombia has not only rejected Ortega’s prosecution in Venezuela but the National Constituent Assembly itself, claiming that it is unconstitutional. Other Latin American powers such as Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, have done the same, stating that the tactics are tools by Maduro to install a dictatorship in Venezuela.
