Venezuela arrests oil industry managers over leaking info to US

The Venezuelan government has announced the arrest of two managers from the country’s oil industry. Alfredo Chirinos and Aryenis Torrealba, who were managers in the company’s supply and trading department, are accused of leaking confidential information to the US administration. 

A commission appointed by President Nicolas Maduro to restructure Venezuela’s oil industry says the detainees will be investigated over espionage and providing strategic data so that the US could harm the Latin American nation’s oil industry.

The announcement comes a week after Maduro said his government would step up efforts to tackle corruption, sabotage, and treason within the petroleum company, the PDVSA. He said the company suffered low levels of oil sales in recent months and that stronger action must be taken to resolve the problem. 

Senior Venezuelan officials say further investigations against corruption are underway and the results will soon be announced. 

However, in the opposition, many say that the oil industry problems are far from being solved.

Experts view this case from a different angle.

On the streets, many say the detention of the spies is good for the country.

Amid the relentless US economic aggression, Caracas has warned that it will severely punish those Venezuelans who help Washington enforce its sanctions against the Latin American country.