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Venezuela arrests previous oil minister Tellechea

Venezuelan authorities have arrested former market and oil minister Pedro Tellechea, Chief Law Officer Tarek Saab stated on Monday, the most recent highprofile detention connected to management of Venezuela's. approved oil industry.

In a statement on Instagram, Saab stated Tellechea had been. apprehended in the early hours of Sunday for declared serious criminal activities. versus the highest interests of the country.

Tellechea, 48, was apprehended with his closest partners,. the declaration said, without naming them, adding that Tellechea. handed over part of state oil firm PDVSA to a business managed. by U.S. intelligence services.

Tellechea had revealed his resignation as market minister. in a social networks post on Friday, pointing out health concerns.

In August, President Nicolas Maduro carried out a large-scale. cabinet shake-up that moved Tellechea from the oil ministry to. the industry ministry and handed the nation's crucial oil short to. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Tellechea had been charged with battling the state company's. endemic corruption and boosting its finances when he was. appointed to head the company in January 2023. 2 months later on,. his short expanded to include the oil ministry.

A corruption probe into PDVSA led to a string of major. arrests in April, consisting of former oil minister Tareck El. Aissami, who had actually when been among Maduro's the majority of influential. authorities.

Tellechea won worker support in his previous role as head of. state petrochemical firm Pequiven by sometimes including. Nutella, the hazelnut and chocolate spread which is a rare. luxury in Venezuela, in monthly employee food boxes.

OPEC-member Venezuela is among Latin America's major oil. producing countries, but its crude output has actually fallen greatly. during Maduro's more than years in power due to. under-investment along with five years of U.S. sanctions on the. market.

The nation's oil production has a little rebounded. over the last few years.

Following Venezuela's July election that authorities say. Maduro won however which the opposition states was a definite. triumph for its candidate, some in the opposition have asked. U.S. authorities to amend or withdraw oil licenses that offer. income to the federal government.

The Biden administration earlier this year momentarily drew. down stringent Trump-era oil sanctions on the back of an election. deal in between the federal government and the opposition. They were. reimposed right after, with the U.S. stating Maduro had failed to. comply with the offer. U.S. authorities have stated Washington is carefully studying. possible brand-new sanctions.

(source: Reuters)