Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has asked Interpol to arrest JJ Rendón, the political strategist to opposition leader Henrique Capriles, allegedly for violence against a woman. Maduro claimed that (my translation)
“It was requested from the International Police to search and find the location of Juan José Rendón Delgado for allegedly committing crimes against the Organic Law for the Women’s Right to a Life Free of Violence.”
Curiously worded statement, to say the least.
Rendón left Venezuela in 2006, which is why Maduro is trying to involve Interpol.
In Venezuela, former judge Blanca Rosa Mármol de León, says that not only has no arrest warrant been issued against Rendón, indeed, the court dismissed charges.
Orden de captura de JJ Rendón no ha sido ordenada por el tribunal. Por el contrario, se estableció que no habia elementos en su contra.
— BRMarmol de Leon (@BMarmoldeLeon) November 18, 2013
It’s worth pointing out that Interpol notes that its constitution prohibits “activities of a political, military, religious or racial character”, but yet,
Interpol took 18 months to accept that the Red Notice issued against Patricia Poleo, a Venezuelan investigative journalist, by her government was politically motivated.
As of the writing of this post, I have not been able to ascertain whether the Maduro regime has actually filed a Red Notice – or nothing – against Rendón.
Rendón, who has managed many successful presidential campaigns in Latin America (most recently that of Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico), tweeted immediately upon hearing of Maduro’s ploy, “I don’t surrender, I don’t fold, I don’t sell out. If the illegitimate @NicolasMaduro’s attack is the price for the cause of Venezuela, welcome the attacks!”
No me rindo,no me pliego,no me vendo.Si el ataque del Ilegítimo @NicolasMaduro es el precio x la causa Venezuela.Bienvenidos los ataques!
— J.J.RENDON (@JJRENDON) November 17, 2013
Rendón also tweeted a danceable salsa song, “La culpa es de JJ Rendón” (It’s all JJ Rendón’s fault)
(Jaime Bayly interviewed Rendón last April; you can watch it here)
Rendón is able to continue his work from outside the country. In the current wave of repression marking the start of really bad news, 11 women were arrested this morning for peacefully protesting the new enabling law that Venezuela’s National Assembly passed last week allowing Maduro to bypass the country’s top legislative body for a twelve-month period.
@rightnowio_feed URGENT! #Venezuela 11 women have been detained for protesting #Maduro´s enabling law @DianaFreites pic.twitter.com/Y6YPb4yP6z
— El_bicho_popular (@Elbicho_popular) November 18, 2013
