(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro named Colombian financier Alex Saab as the head of the country’s international investment center.

Saab, who was accused in 2019 of bribing Venezuelan officials, will replace Felix Plasencia. Maduro made the announcement during his annual address to congress on Monday. 

The appointment comes less than a month after Saab was released as part of a prisoner exchange with the US. Saab, also accused of funneling more than $350 million to overseas accounts as part of a food program intended to serve those going hungry in Venezuela, had been detained since June 2020.

Read More: US Frees Maduro Ally for ‘Fat Leonard’ Amid Prisoner Swap 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.