Off the wire
• S. Korea renews call on DPRK to come forward for dialogue  • Cambodian PM's participation in Davos forum paves way for new investments: official  • Seventeen officials punished after mine accident cover-up  • 1st LD Writethru: Mainland's top Taiwan affairs official to visit Kinmen  • Roundup: Myanmar reiterates commitment to end recruitment of child soldiers  • "The Hobbit" rules China's box office  • New Zealand PM ups rent subsidies in move to rein in housing crisis  • Pakistan shows concern at U.S.-India nuclear deal  • Tokyo stocks fall slightly in morning on weak U.S. earnings  • Puppetry warms up Chinese New Year celebrations in Venezuela  
You are here: 　 Home

Venezuelan president rejects crime accusation against socialist leader

Xinhua, January 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday rebuffed media reports that accused his top party aide of drug trafficking, calling it a new "maneuver" by the opposition.

In a TV broadcast, Maduro said the charge against Diosdado Cabello, his top aide from the United Socialist Party, is a new "campaign to discredit" the country's most important revolutionary leader just after the head of state.

"I want to take this opportunity to reject this new plan against Diosdado Cabello. He has all my support," said the president.

Two Spanish-language newspapers reported Tuesday that Cabello's chief bodyguard, Leamsy Salazar, had fled to the United States where he's allegedly cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

According to the reports, Salazar has documents that indicate the implication of the socialist leader in crimes as head of a drug cartel made up of political and military officials.

"This a very vulgar campaign against Cabello," behind which is the "imperial hand" of the U.S. government, said Maduro.

Meanwhile, Cabello responded on Twitter to the allegations. "Every attack against me strengthens my spirit and resolve," he said, thanking people for support at a time of "infamy and intrigue."

Socialist legislators also rejected the accusation as a "desperate action" by right-wing groups, although they recognized that Salazar belonged to Cabello's security team.

"The socialist legislators express their solidarity with Diosdado Cabello. Nobody doubts about his honesty, loyalty and conviction," said Pedro Carreno, a parliamentary deputy.

Salazar, a lieutenant colonel of Venezuela's navy, worked in the closest security team of late President Hugo Chavez and then as Cabello's chief bodyguard. Endi