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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 13 december 2017

Venezuela orders probe into ex-oil czar, UN ambassador

CARACAS, Venezuela Chief prosecutor Tarek
(AP) — Venezuela’s chief William Saab called
prosecutor has launched Salazar a “direct partner
a probe into the country’s of Rafael Ramirez”
former oil czar and on Tuesday when
ambassador to the United he announced the
Nations for alleged ties to investigation into Ramirez
a vast corruption scheme for links to the corruption
at the state oil company, scheme at the state oil
officials said Tuesday. company.
The investigation against Ramirez, who was never
Rafael Ramirez comes part of Maduro’s inner
one week after the former circle, is believed to have
longtime head of state oil been the ultimate target
company PDVSA resigned of housecleaning at
from his U.N. post on orders PDVSA, which he led for
from President Nicolas 12 years.
Maduro. He was later named
Relations between the as Venezuela’s U.N.
Venezuelan political ambassador.
heavyweights had Prosecutors have not
become increasingly announced any charges
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Rafael Ramirez gives a press conference backdropped by an image strained. against Ramirez.
of independence hero Simon Bolivar, in Caracas, Venezuela. The chief prosecutor in Venezuela With oil production low Since resigning, he has
said Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, his office has launched a probe of Ramirez, who was also the country’s and an economic crisis denied taking part in
former oil czar, and ambassador to the United Nations. playing out, Maduro any corruption schemes
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) ordered a shake-up of and has not made his
PDVSA, the source of whereabouts public after
In rare visit:` almost all of Venezuela’s leaving New York.
foreign currency earnings.
He did not respond to a
UN expert pleads with Venezuela Dozens of oil officials request by The Associated
have been arrested in Press seeking comment.
recent weeks, including Ramirez had becoming
GENEVA (AP) — An inde- didn’t give him any “prob- “I am optimistic that they two former oil ministers. increasingly critical of
pendent expert for the lems.” De Zayas said he are going to invite other Ramirez’s cousin, Diego Maduro’s government
U.N.’s top human rights gave six pages of recom- rapporteurs, and I think it is Salazar, has also been amid an unprecedented
body said Tuesday that he mendations to the govern- in their own interest to do arrested on suspicion of economic crisis, saying
pleaded with Venezuela’s ment, and it had already so,” he added. helping siphon off $1.6 he felt the need to speak
government to release met one — by agreeing His visit came during a billion to banks in the out on policies he knew
more than 20 people in to cooperate with some Nov. 26-Dec. 9 trip to Latin European principality of a great deal about from
custody and is optimistic U.N. agencies. He did not America.q Andorra. tenure running PDVSA.q
other U.N. experts will be specify which ones.
let in. President Nicolas Mad-
Alfred de Zayas said uro’s government has
he met with 16 govern- faced charges of under-
ment ministers, opposition mining Venezuelan de-
groups, and “victims of mocracy by jailing dissi-
repression” during what dents and usurping pow-
he called the first visit by a ers of the opposition-con-
U.N. rights expert to Ven- trolled National Assembly.
ezuela since 1996. The country has faced
“I have succeeded in runaway inflation and
opening the door,” de shortages of food and
Zayas told a news confer- medicine.
ence. “One thing I did plead with
“After 21 years, Venezuela the government for was
has accepted a U.N. ex- for the release of more
pert to spend eight days than 20 persons, who are
there.” currently under deten-
He said the government tion,” De Zayas said.