Maduro Proposes Life Sentences for Corruption

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, proposed a constitutional reform to establish life sentences and lifelong political disqualifications for crimes of corruption and treason in the South American country, where the maximum penalty is 30 years in prison.

"The time has come for a constitutional reform to introduce into our Constitution the penalty of life imprisonment for corruption, lifelong disqualification for corruption, life imprisonment for treason and serious crimes against the people," Maduro said after referring to the scandal for which former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami was arrested this week.

"I call the people to this debate and I call the people to a constitutional reform to introduce life imprisonment in our Constitution and that these people rot for life in prison!" he shouted in front of a crowd at a political event. in Caracas.

Maduro made the statement when speaking about the arrest of dozens of officials since last year for a corruption scheme in the state oil company PDVSA, which according to the NGO Transparencia Venezuela meant an embezzlement of almost 17 billion dollars.

El Aissami, who was a trusted man of the president, former Minister of Petroleum and former Vice President, in addition to holding high positions in the government of the late Hugo Chávez, was arrested.

"I have to confess, as a human being, the pain that this caused me, but the wound is healed. There is no pain, what there is fury and indignation, and what I am going for is forward, with a hand of iron, and make no mistake, traitor bandits!" said Maduro without expressly mentioning El Aissami.

A constitutional reform must pass through Parliament and then be approved in a referendum.

The crime of treason is usually charged in Venezuela to opponents detained due to allegations by the Chavismo ruler of conspiracies to overthrow Maduro or assassinate him.

Political disqualifications, at the same time, have been a weapon to get adversaries out of the way.