Nelson Martinez, the jailed former head of Venezuela's state-run oil giant PDVSA who was arrested last year as part of anti-corruption purge, died in state custody Wednesday, authorities said. The death is likely to focus attention on the conditions in which authorities are holding key opponents and former government officials. At the time, Venezuela's top prosecutor said Martinez conspired with another former PDVSA president, Eulogio del Pino, to embezzle state funds through unauthorized financing deals by PDVSA's U.S. subsidiary, Citgo. The U.S.-educated Martinez, an industry veteran, was replaced at PDVSA by an army general with no previous experience in the oil sector. Ramirez said the government tries to keep its jailed political opponents safe for fear of sparking an international outcry.

Source: ABC News December 13, 2018 00:01 UTC