By Laura Gamba
BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) – Although the Colombian Ministry of Justice has not yet received official confirmation of former congresswoman Aida Merlano’s recapture from Venezuelan authorities, it confirmed it will handle extradition proceedings with Juan Guaido.
"As is well known, Colombia, along with several Latin American and other countries of the world, does not recognize and therefore does not have diplomatic relations with the dictatorial regime of Nicolas Maduro," read a statement from the agency.
The former congresswoman was captured in Maracaibo, Venezuela by the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela (FAES). Late Monday, Jose Miguel Domínguez head of FAES, published a photo of a handcuffed Merlano on his personal Instagram account.
“After arduous investigations carried out by our FAES officials, former Senator Aida Merlano was arrested in the El Milagro sector of the city of Maracaibo, state of #Zulia; she entered Venezuelan territory illegally in the company of an undocumented Colombian citizen,” he wrote.
Merlano has been on the run since Oct. 1, 2019, when she jumped with a rope from the second floor of a building where she was attending a dental appointment and disappeared on a motorcycle driven by a man who was waiting for her. She was serving a 15-year prison sentence in Colombia for electoral fraud and corruption.
As long as there is no official confirmation from the Venezuelan government, the formal request for extradition cannot be issued. Although there is an Interpol Red Notice against Merlano, in the absence of official diplomatic communications, extradition will be complicated. In the meantime, Interpol Colombia is waiting for its counterpart in Venezuela to begin the formal process.
