Venezuela calls opposition Exxon agents, makes arrests

The Venezuelan government has issued warrants to arrest 13 individuals it accuses of being agents of ExxonMobil, with many of those named part of opposition presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado's campaign team.

Attorney general Tarek William Saab said the individuals conspired with ExxonMobil to sabotage a referendum last weekend on Venezuela's attempt to annex a section of neighboring Guyana.

ExxonMobil denied the allegations. "This is a ridiculous and baseless claim and entirely inconsistent with how we do business," the company told Argus.

Four of the individuals, Roberto Abdul, Henry Alviarez, Claudia Macero and Pedro Urruchurtu, work for Machado's campaign. The others include exiled lawmakers Yon Goicochea, Julio Borges, David Smolansky, Leopoldo Lopez and Carlos Vecchio, former US-recognized interim president Juan Guaido, former oil minister Rafael Ramírez, former cabinet member Andres Izarra, and the head of the US-brokered dialogue with the Venezuela government, Lester Toledo. Vecchio worked for ExxonMobil before it left Venezuela in 2007.

The 13 face charges of "treason, conspiracy, money laundering and association to commit a crime," Saab said this week.

By Carlos Camacho