Posted on 02/06/2020 8:43:44 AM PST by Enlightened1
MIAMI (AP) — Six American oil executives under house arrest in Venezuela were rounded up by police hours after President Donald Trump met Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s chief opponent at the White House, according to family members of the men.
Alirio Zambrano said early Thursday that the executives of Houston-based Citgo were abruptly taken from their homes last night by the SEBIN intelligence police. Zambrano, the brother of two of the six detained men, said their current whereabouts are unknown.
“We demand to know they are safe but more importantly their freedom!” Zambrano said on social media, adding that he was very worried about the detainees.
The State Department and Maduro’s government have yet to comment.
But the move comes two months after the men were granted house arrest and just hours after Trump welcomed opposition leader Juan Guaidó to the White House in a show of support for his flagging, year-old campaign to oust Maduro.
The embattled leader condemned Trump’s embrace of Guaidó while socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, who is widely seen as the second most powerful person in the government, vowed to retaliate for the meeting.
“Every time they do something, we’re going to turn harder to the left and see who squeals,” Cabello said Wednesday night in his weekly TV program.
The six men were hauled away by masked security agents while at a meeting in Caracas just before Thanksgiving in 2017. They had been lured to Venezuela in order to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgo’s parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Wrong move.
Oh, no they di’int. Go get ‘em, Mr. President!
I thought that the meeting got postponed or canceled.
Brave man, picking a fight with Trump.
Why the heck are any Americans still in Venezuela?
He chose..... poorly.
I do not know?
I guess they had long term agreements?
Man that would be bad to have to live there.
Yep. The boys from Dam Neck should be wheels up by now.
It says “six American Oil exec.s” but are they Actually American Citizens? If yes, there will be consequences.
Hey Maduro, you gonna “F” around and find out — Find out what Hossein Salami found out.
“Our message to the terrorists is clear: You will never escape American justice. If you attack our citizens, you forfeit your life!” ~ President Trump
Don’t say you weren’t warned!!!
Citgo is a subsidiary of PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company. Remember it was Citgo who was providing Chavez the hard US Dollars back when Obungo was President. Citgo would refine it and distribute it throughout the US and the cash would be funneled back to Chavez and his buddies. It was also Citgo that was providing Robert Kennedy with his "free" oil for his oil "charity".
President Trump put an end to this practice last year and we now block all U.S. revenue to PDVSA to put the squeeze on Maduro.
I guess these Americans aren't too smart or, were in on the corruption and can't get their bank accounts transferred over to the US.
Wait. What am I saying. They only work for America's competitors.
They had been lured to Venezuela in order to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgo’s parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA.
****************
State kidnapping of American citizens. Sounds like Venezuela has been taking lessons from Iran. Also sounds like a good reason to totally shut down Venezuela.
Nice catch. I guess being an oil executive trumps being an American citizen. Just like being an Uber driver trumps being a deranged lunatic hell bent on wreaking havoc on pedestrians.
My question also.
We have quick stop stores around here in E. NC, Grocery Boy Jr..
they sell Citgo gas. I'd walk before I bought any.
Maybe they’re not AMERICANS.
[But many believe the men, five of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens and the other a legal resident, are being held as political bargaining chips as relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have deteriorated. They cite as evidence of irregularities the decisions by Venezuelan Judge Rosvelin Gil to postpone 15 straight times a preliminary hearing.]
I’d prefer we NOT have our oil execs involved with that horrific country - and I have to wonder if our buck-chasing execs think the same now.
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