Politics
According to the indictment that the Spanish government sent to Cuban and Venezuelan authorities requesting information about the presence in both countries of ETA members allegedly related to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), members of the rebel group have travelled to the city of Maracaibo (northwestern Venezuela) without any restrictions, purchased explosives, and planned to practice the use of explosives.

Madrid has presented the first evidence about the accusations made by the Spanish National Court, which are more than simple rumors or accusations between Spain and Venezuela with regard to the possible shelter that Caracas would have provided to members of the armed Basque group ETA in order to establish ties with the FARC.

Among other actions, the Spanish judge Eloy Velasco issued an arrest warrant with purposes of extradition against Spanish citizen Arturo Cubillas Fontán, who is residing in Venezuela and worked in the Ministry of Justice under President Hugo Chávez.

Magaly Vásquez, director of Criminal Law graduate studies at the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), said that the fact that Cubillas Fontán worked as a government official in Venezuela could be interpreted as if the Venezuelan government would be serving as a sanctuary (of terrorists).

The legal expert considers that if the Venezuelan government rejects Cubillas' extradition this decision would not constitute a crime but it would jeopardize Caracas's position in the international community.

With reports from Verónica Egui Brito

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas