Venezuela's top prosecutor announced the arrest of a former oil minister, accusing him of collaborating with the U.S. government to undermine the country's oil industry. The former oil minister, who took office in January 2023, was detained along with individuals from his inner circle. Specific charges were not disclosed by the Attorney General.
The former oil minister's tenure ended in August when he was reassigned to a different role by President Nicolás Maduro. The Attorney General accused him of delivering PDVSA's command and control system to a U.S.-controlled company, allegedly violating national sovereignty. The command system was described as the 'brain' of PDVSA, although no evidence was provided to support the allegations.
