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Nicolas Maduro: US charges Venezuelan president with drug crimes | Nicolas Maduro: US charges Venezuelan president with drug crimes |
(32 minutes later) | |
The US has charged Venezuela's President, Nicolás Maduro, and other senior officials in the country with drug trafficking crimes. | |
The move, which will increase tensions between the two nations, was announced by Attorney General William Barr. | The move, which will increase tensions between the two nations, was announced by Attorney General William Barr. |
The US also offered a $15m (£12.5m) reward for any information leading to Mr Maduro's arrest. | The US also offered a $15m (£12.5m) reward for any information leading to Mr Maduro's arrest. |
It has long accused him of leading a corrupt and brutal regime, a charge he has repeatedly rejected. | It has long accused him of leading a corrupt and brutal regime, a charge he has repeatedly rejected. |
Washington backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who last year declared himself interim president. | Washington backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who last year declared himself interim president. |
The new charges represent an escalation in the longstanding US pressure campaign on Mr Maduro, which has also included sweeping sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry. | |
As well as Mr Maduro, the US indictment charged more than a dozen Venezuelan officials including the country's chief justice. | |
"The Venezuelan people deserve a transparent, responsible, representative government that serves the needs of the people - and that does not.... engage in illicit narcotics trafficking," the US state department said. | |
"These individuals violated the public trust by facilitating shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, including control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan air base," it added. | "These individuals violated the public trust by facilitating shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, including control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan air base," it added. |
At a news conference on Thursday, Mr Barr accused Mr Maduro of working with a Colombian rebel group "to flood the United States with cocaine." | |
"While the Venezuelan people suffer, this cabal... lines their pockets," he said. | |
Venezuela is yet to respond to the charges. | |
What's the background to the Venezuela crisis? | |
Mr Maduro narrowly won a presidential election in April 2013 after the death of his mentor, President Hugo Chávez. | |
He was elected to a second term in May 2018 in an election seen as flawed by international observers. | |
Venezuela has experienced economic collapse - inflation was 800,000% last year - and three million people have left the country. | |
Mr Guaidó has accused President Maduro of being unfit for office. He has won the support of many in the country as well as US and EU leaders. | |
But Mr Maduro has remained in power and is backed by Russia, China and Cuba. |