Juan Guaidó claimed the mantle of interim President of Venezuela in January 2019 but has been unable to unseat Maduro so far. For his part, Luis Brito was sanctioned by the US for undermining democracy in Venezuela, and he cannot enter the North American country.
Brito was an opposition lawmaker until early 2020. He then sided with a group of defecting, formerly opposition, now pro-Maduro lawmakers grouped in a dissident faction. Venezuelan businessman David De Lima was also sanctioned by the US for his role in organizing a bribes scheme in what US Treasury called Alacran Operation, a system in which De Lima paid each defecting opposition lawmaker approximately $1 million.
The sanctioned lawmaker has said he has summoned Guaido and another 30 opposition lawmakers to question them about “several acts of corruption that left millions in losses to the Venezuelan State.” Brito also said Guaido was involved in an organized crime plot.
You must read “2021 will be the end of a historical cycle,” Juan Guaidó said
Neither the US nor the European Union recognizes the pro-Maduro legislative seated on January the 5th. On Monday, the European Union reiterated its support of Guaido and asked Maduro, again, to hold credible parliamentary and presidential elections.
“All of them will be summoning. We are going to question them in the next hours,” said Brito after holding a meeting with Maduro-regime Attorney General Tarek William Saab, also sanctioned by the US.
Brito said he asked Saab to forbid Guaido and the other opposition lawmakers from leaving the country.
“These people have to respond because they are subject to an investigation by this special commission that will establish political (and) administrative responsibilities,” added Brito.
Among the acts under investigation is the proposal made by the team of Guaidó to Paraguay, which recognizes him as interim president, to collect with discounts a millionaire debt that this country has with the Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA.
