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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| I gave US 'compromising' evidence on Venezuela officials – ex-chief prosecutor | I gave US 'compromising' evidence on Venezuela officials – ex-chief prosecutor |
| (4 months later) | |
| Luis Ortega Díaz admits to meetings with US prosecutors | |
| Ortega broke with President Nicolás Maduro’s government in March | |
| Reuters in Geneva | |
| Fri 13 Oct 2017 17.56 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 13 Oct 2017 22.34 BST | |
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| Venezuela’s former chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Díaz has said that her team had supplied the United States with evidence “compromising” top officials in the leftist administration of President Nicolás Maduro. | Venezuela’s former chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Díaz has said that her team had supplied the United States with evidence “compromising” top officials in the leftist administration of President Nicolás Maduro. |
| The Trump administration has already slapped sanctions on Venezuelan officials for alleged corruption and rights abuses, so news that Ortega has been providing information to Washington is likely to irk Maduro’s unpopular government. | The Trump administration has already slapped sanctions on Venezuelan officials for alleged corruption and rights abuses, so news that Ortega has been providing information to Washington is likely to irk Maduro’s unpopular government. |
| Asked if she was sharing information about corruption in the Maduro administration with Washington, including graft linked to food imports, Ortega said meetings had taken place. | Asked if she was sharing information about corruption in the Maduro administration with Washington, including graft linked to food imports, Ortega said meetings had taken place. |
| “With prosecutors in Colombia, [I] have been meeting with prosecutors from the United States and some other countries to exchange information,” Ortega told reporters after meeting the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, in Geneva. | “With prosecutors in Colombia, [I] have been meeting with prosecutors from the United States and some other countries to exchange information,” Ortega told reporters after meeting the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, in Geneva. |
| “We’ve supplied them with a mix of evidence that compromises high-level government officials,” she said, adding she planned to visit the United States. | “We’ve supplied them with a mix of evidence that compromises high-level government officials,” she said, adding she planned to visit the United States. |
| Ortega, 59, was removed from her post in August after breaking with Maduro earlier this year in a dramatic split the opposition said showed Venezuela’s swerve into dictatorship. | Ortega, 59, was removed from her post in August after breaking with Maduro earlier this year in a dramatic split the opposition said showed Venezuela’s swerve into dictatorship. |
| She went into hiding before fleeing the country on a speedboat to the Caribbean island of Aruba and going on to Colombia. | She went into hiding before fleeing the country on a speedboat to the Caribbean island of Aruba and going on to Colombia. |
| Since then, she has been travelling the region denouncing the Maduro government for persecuting her, and for engaging in corruption. | Since then, she has been travelling the region denouncing the Maduro government for persecuting her, and for engaging in corruption. |
| She has said she has evidence that Maduro was involved in graft with the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, and that he also profited off food imports to Venezuela, where millions are unable to eat three square meals a day. | She has said she has evidence that Maduro was involved in graft with the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, and that he also profited off food imports to Venezuela, where millions are unable to eat three square meals a day. |
| Socialist party officials have denied Ortega’s allegations. The Venezuelan government says Ortega failed to tackle corruption while she was in office and instead ran an extortion ring that allowed culprits to pay in exchange for getting off the hook. Ortega has rejected those accusations as politically motivated. | Socialist party officials have denied Ortega’s allegations. The Venezuelan government says Ortega failed to tackle corruption while she was in office and instead ran an extortion ring that allowed culprits to pay in exchange for getting off the hook. Ortega has rejected those accusations as politically motivated. |
| Ortega, who was Venezuela’s chief prosecutor for over a decade, long adhered to the ruling Socialist party line and her office spearheaded the jailing of political foes. | Ortega, who was Venezuela’s chief prosecutor for over a decade, long adhered to the ruling Socialist party line and her office spearheaded the jailing of political foes. |
| Two years ago she said she assumed she was on the US state department’s list of Venezuelan officials who would be denied visas and have property confiscated there due to alleged rights abuses and corruption. | Two years ago she said she assumed she was on the US state department’s list of Venezuelan officials who would be denied visas and have property confiscated there due to alleged rights abuses and corruption. |
| Ortega’s public change of heart came in March when she condemned the supreme court’s usurping of powers from the opposition-controlled congress, a move that was quickly partially overturned. | Ortega’s public change of heart came in March when she condemned the supreme court’s usurping of powers from the opposition-controlled congress, a move that was quickly partially overturned. |
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