The release of Alex Saab as part of an agreement reached by the Biden administration with the Venezuelan dictatorship has baffled many. However, Republican Senator Marco Rubio anticipated months ago that the U.S. president could give in again to Nicolás Maduro and free his front man.
After the news became public that Biden's government had freed one of the most important allies to the Venezuelan regime, Rubio recalled that he had issued a statement in October warning that Saab's release could be another of the concessions that the Biden administration would make to the Venezuelan dictatorship.
In said statement, Rubio criticized Biden for opening "a channel of communication with Maduro’s narco-regime, granting legitimacy to a criminal dictatorship that has committed crimes against humanity and continues to detain countless political prisoners, including Americans."
Likewise, the senator accused the president and his administration of being complicit in prolonging the agony that Venezuelans are experiencing under the Maduro dictatorship by giving in to the regime's demands and warned that Saab's release could be another of Biden's sacrifices.
“We’ve seen the release of Maduro’s convict nephews and the lifting of targeted sanctions to now granting petroleum, gas, and gold licenses. No one should be surprised when this administration ends up releasing Maduro’s financier and money launderer, Alex Saab, either,” the Republican senator forcefully expressed.
FLASHBACK: A warning from earlier this year ⬇️https://t.co/pURh0dLfu3 pic.twitter.com/62508KYLls
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) December 20, 2023
Releasing Saab 'will only incentivize tyrants'
Now, after the news, Rubio published another statement recalling that Saab is “the architect of Maduro's corruption and money laundering operation” and highlighting how detrimental this decision is for the United States.
“This will only incentivize tyrants to continue to hold Americans hostage,” said the Republican senator. “A concession-only approach towards a narco-dictator, whose only aspiration is to maintain his illegal grip on power, is doomed to fail and weakens U.S. foreign policy. There must be a real effort from this administration to advocate for free, multiparty, transparent and internationally observed elections in Venezuela,” he added.
Decisión vergonzosa del presidente Biden de liberar a Alex Saab.
La política de apaciguamiento de la administración sólo incentiva al narco-dictador Nicolás Maduro.https://t.co/kUQTg3Zac5
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) December 20, 2023
