Tarek William Saab, Venezuela’s attorney general, has said that the abduction of Nicolas Maduro was an “act of war.”  The United States kidnapped the Venezuelan ruler during an operation a few weeks ago.

Trump Halts Second Wave of Venezuela Strikes As Global Outrage Grows Over Maduro Abduction

American forces carried out a series of airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and several other regions of the country on January 3, while US commandos abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were taken to a US warship and later flown to New York, where last week they appeared in court on drug-trafficking conspiracy charges. Both have pleaded not guilty. -RT

In an interview with RT Spanish, which aired on Wednesday, Saab called the operation an “unprecedented” crime of aggression that has no basis in US or international law. He argued that Washington has “no criminal jurisdiction” to prosecute “a president, a head of state of a sovereign nation.” Saab also noted that US officials have acknowledged that the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” – a purported criminal network alleged to operate within Venezuela’s security services – “does not exist.”

Maduro is now, essentially, “a prisoner of war whose personal and diplomatic immunity has been violated,” said Saab.

The U.S. ruling class continues to claim that the abduction of Maduro and Flores stems back to “narco terrorism”. However, in recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that this has been about oil and other natural resources.

It’s All About The Oil: Trump Wants “Oil Rights” In Venezuela

Saab has also stated that the real reason the U.S. started escalating toward a war with Venezuela was the oil. He said the goal was to “seize Venezuela’s oil and natural wealth,” rather than to promote democracy or fight narcotics. He argued that previous U.S. rhetoric about Venezuelan “dictatorship” and regime change had “fallen to pieces,” and that Washington now openly admits energy is the focus.

Saab has called for “absolute, unconditional release” of Maduro and Flores at a hearing scheduled for March. He also warned that the precedent could be used against leaders “in any country of Europe, Latin America, Asia, or Africa.”