Venezuela seeks extradition of suspects from Colombia, U.S.

CARACAS, AUG. 9 — Venezuela will seek “full cooperation” from Colombia and the United States in extraditing Venezuelans involved in the assassination attempt against the president, the prosecutor general said Wednesday.
Venezuela is requesting from Colombia the extradition of Raider Russo and retired national guard colonel Oswaldo Garcia, for their alleged role in Saturday’s failed attempt against Nicolas Maduro, said Tarek William Saab.
It is requesting the United States to turn over Osman Delgado for allegedly financing the plot.
Saab said prosecutors are expediting requests for mutual legal assistance with both Colombia and the United States.
“Given the extradition agreements between Venezuela and Colombia, there should be no doubt (of cooperation), and Colombia’s incoming government should hand over the two criminals,” the prosecutor general said.
Also on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza gave James Story, the U.S. embassy’s charge d’affaires in Venezuela, a preliminary report on the “attempted assassination against Nicolas Maduro.”
Story expressed his concern over the incident, hoping the United States will cooperate, according to a statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The U.S. embassy in Venezuela posted a message on Twitter Wednesday, saying: “We reject political violence in ALL ITS FORMS.”
On Tuesday night, suspects Argenis Valero, Juan Carlos Monasterios and Jose Eloy Ribas appeared before a court in Caracas, where they were charged with treason, attempted assassination, detonating an explosive device, terrorism and crime conspiracy, among other charges.
Ribas, who paid hotel fees for the other two, was also charged with financing a terrorist act.
Saab said officials wanted to ensure “this type of act does not go unpunished.”
Two drones carrying a kilogram of the explosive C4 blasted Saturday while Maduro spoke at an outdoor military celebration.
Maduro was unhurt, but seven soldiers were injured.
Tuesday night, Maduro released videos, audios and images of the suspects confessing to the plot.
The president blamed the attack on the far-right factions in Venezuela, the Colombian government and conspirators in the United States, according to his earlier address.
Venezuela-Colombia relationship has been long strained by frictions between the two neighbouring South American countries, including border disputes and military concerns. Enditem – XINHUA