Today, at his arraignment in Federal court in New York, Venezuelan President (or ex-President?) Maduro proclaimed his innocence. He said, “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I am a decent man.” He also described himself as having been “kidnapped.”
Mr. Maduro, you obviously doesn’t understand how things work here. So I’ll explain.
Your guilt or innocence is completely irrelevant. Your country sits on a lot of oil that President Trump wants to give to his oil company buddies, perhaps so that his oil company buddies will do something nice for Mr. Trump. In addition, you have been friendly with Iran, and friends of Mr. Trump in Saudi Arabia really don’t want oil rich countries like yours to cozy up to Iran.
Finally, and this is the really important part, unless you are duly charged with drug trafficking (and, better yet, convicted of drug trafficking), Mr. Trump can’t be “induced” by large sums of cash, preferably in reasonably small denominations, to pardon you.
Even though you are a Marxist of sorts, I am surprised that you don’t understand our kleptocracy.
Well, I hope this is helpful.