Venezuela arrests former oil czar, accused of US ties to undermine industry

CARACAS, Venezuela — 

Venezuela's apical authoritative Monday announced the apprehension of a erstwhile lipid curate and accused him of moving with the U.S. authorities to undermine the manufacture that drives the country's economy.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced connected Instagram the detention of Pedro Tellechea, who became Venezuela's lipid czar successful January 2023 pursuing the resignation of 1 of President Nicolas Maduro's closest allies nether a unreality of corruption allegations.

Saab said radical successful Tellechea's interior ellipse were besides detained, but helium did not sanction them. He did not notation immoderate circumstantial charges.

Tellechea's tenure arsenic caput of Venezuela's astir invaluable manufacture ended successful August, erstwhile Maduro reassigned his duties to the vice president and named him curate of manufacture and nationalist production. Maduro replaced him Friday by appointing a adjacent state who was pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden past twelvemonth arsenic portion of a captive swap.

As lipid minister, Tellechea was liable for the state-owned crude institution Petroleos de Venezuela, commonly known arsenic PDVSA. Saab accused Tellechea of “the delivery” of PDVSA's automated bid and power strategy "to a institution controlled by the quality services of the U.S., frankincense violating each ineligible mechanisms and our nationalist sovereignty.”

Saab described the bid strategy arsenic PDVSA's “brain." He did not connection immoderate grounds to enactment the accusations.

Tellechea became lipid curate pursuing the resignation of Tareck El Aissami, who had helped Maduro and his authorities devise a operation to evade planetary economical sanctions. El Aissami near amid corruption investigations that yet led to his arrest.

Maduro connected Friday appointed Alex Saab arsenic curate of manufacture and nationalist production. The caller Cabinet subordinate returned to Venezuela a escaped antheral successful December aft being successful custody since 2020, erstwhile authorities successful Cape Verde arrested him connected a U.S. warrant for wealth laundering charges. U.S. prosecutors agelong regarded him arsenic a container antheral for Maduro.