Venezuelan prosecutor’s bid for U.S. asylum triggers dilemma

A Venezuelan prosecutor’s plea for asylum in the United States after confessing he sent the country’s opposition leader, Leopoldo López, to prison on trumped-up charges has set off a moral and political dilemma from Miami to Washington. Many Venezuelan-Americans, including an influential group of former political prisoners in Miami, oppose protecting the former official, Franklin Nieves, who is seen as a longtime enforcer of the Caracas regime’s abuse of power.But South Florida leaders in Washington and the Obama administration – which has already spoken out against López’s imprisonment – must also weigh whether it’s worth working with unsavory insiders like Nieves if it means more leverage against President Nicolás Maduro and his administration – especially with critical parliamentary elections looming next month.  More…