In a press appearance from the Colombian Congress, the Minister of Justice of that nation, Néstor Osuna, reported that the Government of President Gustavo Petro requested the Government of President Nicolás Maduro, in Venezuela, the extradition of former legislator Aída Merlano, accused of participate in vote buying for his congressional campaign.
The New Granada head of Justice highlighted the political and legal invalidity in the act when “the previous government (of Iván Duque), which requested the Venezuelan government to extradite (of Merlano); He requested it from the ‘government of Mr. Juan Guaidó’”.
“Well, I don’t want to joke about that matter, but the point is that… but let’s say that this procedure was lost,” said the minister, after which several journalists present could not hide their laughter.
“Now that diplomatic relations with the country (Venezuela) have been reactivated, we have begun the process for his extradition,” explained Osuna, stressing that “this process is not fast, not because of this case (of Merlano), not because of justice Venezuelan or Colombian, it is because you have to carry out a procedure in Colombia, a procedure in Venezuela and there are judicial steps that are carried out with guarantees in all countries,” he explained.
“The request is reactivated and in due course there will be a resolution that depends mainly on the Venezuelan State, which is the one that grants or denies the extradition,” he said.
Absurd extradition request from Duque to Guaidó
It is worth remembering that one year ago, on February 14, 2022, the Colombian Foreign Ministry of the Government of Duque irregularly requested the extradition from Venezuela of Merlanothis after the complaint made by the former legislator against the president.
The government of New Granada sent the request to the self-proclaimed former deputy Juan Guaidó during his alleged interim administration, whom Duque recognized as the president of Venezuela, with which the process would not be valid and Merlano would not be able to testify before the courts of his country.
The then Foreign Minister of Colombia, Claudia Blum, explained the process before Guaidó; branded by broad sectors inside and outside Colombia as nonsense. she arguing that the mechanisms of international judicial cooperation with the Government of President Nicolás Maduro were affected in their normal operation, “by having expelled all diplomatic and consular personnel from Colombia.”
It is important to note that Merlano, who was arrested in January 2020 in Venezuela after having fled her country, denounced Duque as part of a corruption network with which the former president would have bought votes for his presidential election in the second round.
Merlano’s complaint against Duque
Merlano stated in an interview that Julio Gerlein (businessman and former sentimental partner of Merlano), together with the Char family from Barranquilla, would have bought votes for Iván Duque’s presidential campaign, in the second round. He specifically referred to the sum of $6,000 million.
According to his account, Duque, being a candidate, was aware of these facts. “Of course, as did all the politicians who were elected,” he said.
After Merlano’s statements from Venezuela, the first criminal complaint against Duque was filed in Colombia, in 2020, in full exercise of his presidency.
The complaint was brought forward then by the opposition congressman David Racero, who quoted verbatim in the document attached to the procedure the words of Merlano during the interview granted to Semana Magazine.
Given Merlano’s revelations, some sectors requested the Chamber’s Accusation Commission to open an ex officio investigation into these events.
According to the congressman, against Duque the crimes of restraint, corruption and fraud against the voter can be configured, as well as vote trafficking and attempted homicide; in the latter case, due to Merlano’s complaints regarding changes in the amounts of reward that the Government offered in exchange for information about her.
