Saab's Slippery Slope: A Cautionary Tale of Patronage and Prosecution The deportation of Alex Saab, a key ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, back to the United States is a stark reminder that even the most seemingly impregnable patronage networks can unravel with a shift in power dynamics.
For years, Saab was the go to businessman for high stakes government contracts in Venezuela, amassing a fortune and earning the ire of his former protector's successors.
Saab's reversal comes less than three years after he was pardoned by President Joe Biden as part of a prisoner swap, sparking outrage from U. S. officials who had described him as Maduro's "bag man.