Caracas.- Lawmaker Jose Gregorio Noriega, a man who was a member of the Voluntad Popular party for more than six years, offered his colleague Alfonso Marquina $700,000 if Marquina voted for Luis Parra, and not incumbent Juan Guaido, as President of the National Assembly on behalf of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro.
In the recording, Noriega tells Marquina that he reunited with Maduro about the bribe offers and the vote-buying amongst opposition lawmakers -the vast majority in Parliament, with 112 seats, or more than two-thirds of all seats- to add them to the 40 seats of the PSUV ruling party to get Parra elected.
Noriega was expelled two weeks ago from VP for his alleged connection to the CLAP social control and corruption scheme promoted by Maduro through the distribution of subsidized food.
Marquina presented the audio recording at a press conference. Besides the money, Marquina was offered the Presidency of the Finances commission of the National Assembly by Noriega.
