Venezuela Puts Some Exiles In Florida On Wanted List
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BROWARD (CBSMiami) – Patricia Poleo was watching Venezuelan state TV from her home in Broward County Sunday when she was named one of 23 Venezuelan exiles that the Nicholas Maduro regime wants arrested.
The government accuses the exiles of being behind an attack on a military base by opposition militants earlier this month.
Poleo was an investigative reporter who fled Venezuela 12 years ago after numerous, nasty encounters with the government.
"I was charged with treason," Poleo said. "I was given a military trial."
Another time, Poleo was accused of conspiring to kill a government prosecutor.
"I was the mastermind of the murder," she said of the government's accusation. "That was all false."
Poleo angered the government of Hugo Chavez for exposing ties to terrorist groups and narco-trafficking. In exile she is still angering the government.
She has a daily program on YouTube, calling out the Maduro regime for its abuses.
"My TV show is watched by a million people every night," Poleo said.
Her huge ratings are hugely infuriating to the Venezuelan government. It's the reason, she says, she's on an arrest list now. It has left her captive in United States.
"I can't go out of the country, because I can be arrested," she said. "I can be arrested in another country."
Poleo said she watches her back, believing Maduro's regime is capable of anything, even kidnapping her.
The U.S. government also worries what Venezuela's leaders might be capable of doing. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is under 24 hour guard after Homeland Security learned of an apparent Venezuelan assassination plot against him.
Poleo likes President Trump's tough talk on Venezuela, including possible military intervention there.
She is worried that the Maduro opposition is rapidly being beaten down, imprisoned or fleeing the country in fear of being jailed.
"Inside that country, it's very hard to fight against the government," Poleo said.
Among the exiles on Venezuela's wanted list, about eight are safe in the United States. The rest, however, are in other countries, some of which might honor Maduro's requests for extradition.