The Inspector General’s Office asked the Supreme Court to extradite drug-trafficker Walid Makled to the U.S., not Venezuela, Caracol Radio reported Friday.
Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez said that based on announcements from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, the prison system in Venezuela is “deplorable” and it is highly likely that Makled’s human rights would be violated.
The Inspector General said due to “the deplorable conditions of the prison system of the requesting state [Venezuela] … there is a ‘high probability of the infringement of the human rights of Makled. For this reason it is requested that the extradition request be denied.”
The Supreme Court authorized the extradition of Makled in March, however the decision laid with the Colombian Head of State Juan Manuel Santos as to which country he should be sent.
President Santos made the decision on Wednesday to extradite Makled to Venezuela citing the fact that the neighboring country was the first to seek his extradition.
Santos is enjoying a more cordial diplomatic relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, than did his predecessor Alvaro Uribe, who yesterday stated that the drug-trafficker should be sent to the U.S.
However, Santos is currently in Washington D.C. and due to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama to enable the free trade agreement between the two countries to be enacted.
Makled is wanted in the U.S. on drug-trafficking charges. He is wanted in Venezuela for the murder of a journalist and a Colombian drug-trafficker in addition to drug-trafficking charges.
It is expected that Makled’s extradition to his home country of Venezuela will be approved before April 15.
