The vice president of Venezuela says "hurt" by revelation the ex-treasurer took bribes

Vice-President of the Venezuelan Socialist Party Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday that all "Chavistas" were "hurt" by revelations that a former national treasurer had taken more than $ 1 billion worth of bribes. wine, but sought to bring the movement to power at a distance.

Cabello is the highest official in the government of President Nicolas Maduro to comment on Alejandro Andrade's admission to US prosecutors in unsealed documents last week when he conspired to launder money while running the treasure during four years under the late President Hugo Chavez.

A Florida judge on Tuesday sentenced Andrade to 10 years, the maximum prison sentence he was liable to. He admitted to receiving goods, Mercedez Benz vehicles and "championship horses" as part of illegal foreign currency schemes involving a local television mogul currently being charged by US courts.

"This hurts us personally, of course," said Cabello, who also chairs the all-powerful Constituent Assembly, in his weekly television show, accusing Andrade of "betraying" Chavez. "But I repeat: to be chavis, we must fight against corruption and not be corrupt."

Maduro, the successor chosen by Chavez, proudly presents himself as a "son" of Chavez and has maintained his leftist economic policy.

Andrade, who lives in Florida, must go to the US prison before February 25, announced the court. The chief prosecutor of Venezuela, Tarek Saab, requested extradition last week in the United States.

US federal prosecutors seek to clamp down on the use of the US financial system to launder the proceeds of widespread corruption in the country of South America hit by the crisis, which is suffering from hyperinflation and corruption. a fifth year of economic contraction.

Since 2003, the exchange control system has sold heavily subsidized dollars through national currency agencies or government auctions. But the dollars on the black market have at least doubled and sometimes 10 times more, allowing well-connected people to buy dollars at a reduced rate and resell them at a huge profit.

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