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 | Some parts of this article were copied from external sources and may contain errors or lack of appropriate formatting. You can help improve this article by editing it and cleaning it up. (February 2023) |
Alex Saab | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 21, 1971 Barranquilla, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
Alex Nain Saab Morán (born December 21, 1971) is a Colombian businessman and Venezuelan diplomat who is instrumental in securing Venezuela access to international trade, who was illegally detained in June 2020 at the request of the imperialist United States for supposed "money laundering."[1][2][3][4] Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the arrest.
In December 2023, the USA released Saab in a prison exchange.[5]
Arrest and imprisonment[edit | edit source]
In June 2020, the USA arrested Saab in Cabo Verde while he was traveling to Iran (another sanctioned country) to secure shipments of food and medicine to Venezuela. He was held in Cabo Verde for 16 months before being extradited to the USA in October 2021, where authorities in Miami blocked him from receiving treatment for cancer.[5]
Support campaign[edit | edit source]
Venezuelan support[edit | edit source]
Shortly after his detention, on 14 June, the foreign affairs minister appointed by Maduro, Jorge Arreaza, tweeted in support of Alex Saab, labeling his arrest as "arbitrary" and "illegal".[6][7] Journalist Roberto Deniz expressed surprise by the declaration, saying that after years denying or ignoring its relationship with Saab, the government now called him a "government agent" and a "Venezuelan citizen".[8][9]
After Alex Saab's detention, the Venezuelan government started deploying a support campaign in favour of Saab, using government social media accounts and filled Caracas with billboards, murals and graffitis to ask for his liberation. The government designed a communication campaign to build an alternative narrative of Saab's affair, showing him as an ally entrepreneur with diplomatic powers that with his efforts had managed to evade economic sanctions and made possible the arrival of food and industrial parts to Venezuela.[10]
In February 2021, the Venezuelan government organized a concert in support of Alex Saab in Caracas' Diego Ibarra Square,[10][11] asking for his release. Two PSUV deputies visited Nigeria's embassy in Venezuela, also asking for his liberation.[11] Saab's wife, Italian model Camila Fabbri, moved to Moscow with her family.[12]
The same month, Salva Foods employees, which operate in La Guaira Port and are in charge of both importing and assembling CLAP boxes, denounced on 3 February that they were threatened by the company's board with massive layoffs and labor benefits removal if they refused to participate in videos or protests to demand the release of Alex Saab, who is related to the company.[13]
In June 2021, the Venezuelan government started a YouTube series dedicated to Saab.[14]
International support[edit | edit source]
On Feb 4, 2022, Alliance for Global Justice (AGJ) interviewed Alex Saab's spouse Camila Saab.[15]
In April 2022, the AGJ hosted a webinar to further promote the case of Alex Saab. Panelists include Alfred de Zayas (former rapporteur on Venezuela for United Nations Human Rights Council), Suzanne Adely (President of the National Lawyers Guild), Oscar Lopez Rivera (former Puerto Rican political prisoner and Honorary Chair of the Free Alex Saab Campaign), and Jaribu Hill (human rights attorney and founder of the Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights Organizers’ Conference).[16]
Release[edit | edit source]
In December 2023, the USA released Saab as part of a prisoner exchange. Venezuela released at least 10 of its prisoners, including the Statesian mercenaries Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who worked for Juan Guaidó and tried to assassinate Maduro. Frederick Leonard was also extradited to the USA for a multi-million dollar extortion scheme.[5]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Lee Camp Reveals Falsity of US ‘Evidence‘ Against Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab (Video)" (2021-06-28). Orinco Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30.
- ↑ "President Maduro Condemns Illegal Extraction of Alex Saab: ‘When the Blockade Intensified, He Brought Food & Gasoline’" (2021-10-19). Orinco Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01.
- ↑ Frente Hugo Chavez para la Defensa de los Pueblos (2021-10-19). "Statement on the Illegal Extradition of Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab" Orinco Tribune.
- ↑ Sara Flounders, Roger D. Harris (Jun 24, 2021). "The Case of Alex Saab: US Abduction of Venezuelan Diplomat, a Global Challenge" Orinco Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Gloria La Riva (2023-12-20). "Victory for Venezuela: Alex Saab is free!" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21.
- ↑ “Venezuela denounces the arbitrary and illegal detention of the Venezuelan citizen, Alex Nain Saab, by Interpol, when he was in transit in the Republic of Cape Verde, adding to the actions of aggression, blockade and siege of the United States against our country”
Jorge Arreaza. Twitter. Archived from the original. - ↑ "Álex Saab, supuesto testaferro de Nicolás Maduro, fue arrestado en Cabo Verde" (2020-06-14). France 24. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ↑ “Ha sido la detención y el temor de que sea deportado o extraditado a los Estados Unidos lo que rompió el silencio sepulcral mantenido durante años en torno a la figura de Alex Saab”
Roberto Deniz (14 June 2020). "El penúltimo vuelo de Alex Saab" Armando.info. Retrieved 26 July 2021. - ↑ “El chavismo pasó años negando su relación u omitiendo su relación con Alex Saab para ahora decir que es "agente" del Gobierno, que es "ciudadano venezolano" y que casi que es un emisario humanitario. Increíble, pero cierto!”
Roberto Deniz (2020-06-14). Twitter. Retrieved 2021-03-15. - ↑ 10.0 10.1 Alonso Moleiro (2021-02-24). "El chavismo despliega una campaña en defensa del empresario Alex Saab" El País. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "El chavismo pide la liberación de presunto testaferro de Maduro" (2021-02-21). La Razón (Madrid). Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ↑ "La mujer de Álex Saab se muda a Moscú" (2021-02-17). ABC (newspaper). Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ↑ Nadeska Noriega (2021-02-03). "Trabajadores de Salva Foods denuncian ser obligados a manifestar apoyo para Alex Saab" El Pitazo. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ↑ "El régimen estrena en youtube una serie dedicada a Alex Saab" (2021-06-19). NTN24. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ↑ Alliance for Global Justice (2022-02-04). "Free Alex Saab webinar w/ Camila Saab and Puerto Rican former political prisoner Oscar López Rivera.". YouTube.
- ↑ "Alex Saab, a diplomat without immunity. Webinar, Apr 26 at 3pm ET / 12pm PT #Free Alex Saab.". Alliance for Global Justice.