The Colombian government on Monday raised already high tension with Venezuela by offering asylum and government protection to former chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega.

"Luisa Ortega is under the protection of the Colombian government," Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, posted on Twitter. "If she asks for asylum, we will grant it to her."

Ortega, once a loyalist of Venezuela's socialist regime, broke ranks with President Nicolas Maduro over the government's deadly crackdown against opposition protestors, as well as alleged corruption by members of his inner circle.

Read more: What is going on in Venezuela?

Last month, Venezuela's new constitutional authority, dominated by allies of Maduro, voted to remove Ortega from her post. The ouster came following a decision from the pro-government Supreme Court to charge Ortega with alleged misconduct during her time as the country's top prosecutor. She has dismissed the charges against her as "political persecution."

Ortega reportedly arrived in Colombia with her husband on Friday, German Ferrer, after he was accused by Venezuelan authorities of running an extortion ring out of the state prosecutor's office. The two had been in hiding until that time, although they reportedly arrived in Bogota on a private flight from the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Colombia-Venezuela relations on the precipice

On taking office in 2010, Colombia's Santos hailed his friendship with Venezuela's then-socialist leader, Hugo Chavez, Maduro's late mentor and predecessor.

However, as Venezuela descended into an ever-worsening political and economic crisis under the current socialist guard, Santos joined a host of international leaders in criticizing Maduro's unsound economic policies and denouncing his violent means of clinging to power.

The Colombian president openly back the United State's sanctions against Maduro and his allies and warned his Venezuelan counterpart against installing a "dictatorship" by violently suppressing opponents and seizing state bodies.

In a Twitter post, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza described Santos' move to offer Ortega and her husband asylum as "cynical," adding that Bogota had become the center of "conspiracy against democracy and peace in Venezuela."

Ortega outlines corruption charges against Maduro

Then, on Friday, she claimed to have evidence implicating Maduro and his circle of allies in an international bribery scandal involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. "They are very worried and anxious, because they know we have details on all the cooperation, amounts and people who got rich," She said, addressing a summit of Latin American prosecutors in Mexico via video link. "And that investigation involves Mr Nicolas Maduro and his inner circle."

Read more: Venezuela tells Germany 'don't interfere'



That prompted Maduro to hit back on Sunday, appearing on state television to accuse Ortega of receiving money as attorney general in exchange for blocking investigations he had ordered.

Following the allegations tabled by both sides, Venezuela's opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, also came out on Monday to deny claims that his presidential campaign team in 2012 had also received funds from Odebrecht.

Venezuela on the brink The last straw In March 2017, violent protests erupted across the country in response to a Supreme Court decision to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands continued to take to the streets, calling for new elections. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

Venezuela on the brink Hunger, a growing problem The violence added to the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the Socialist government of economic mismanagement.

Venezuela on the brink Health care in crisis The crisis has even affected health care in the oil-rich nation. Venezuelans often head to Colombia to collect medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals across Venezuela have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.

Venezuela on the brink Power grab By July 2017, Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly was established. For observers, it had all the hallmarks of a power grab. The new body adopted the authority to pass legislation on a range of issues, effectively taking away the powers of Venezuela's elected congress, which was under the opposition's control. The move drew wide international condemnation.

Venezuela on the brink The West sanctions In response to the political crisis, the United States and European Union imposed a series of sanctions against ruling officials. The US blacklisted members of the Constituent Assembly and froze all of Maduro's assets that are subject to US jurisdiction. The EU banned arms sales to the country.

Venezuela on the brink Government victorious in regional elections In October 2017, Venezuela held two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were long overdue. The opposition boycotted the vote, but then split, as some candidates and small parties chose to participate. This caused a deep rift within Maduro's opponents. The government went on to sweep the vote, which detractors say was unfair and heavily favored the regime.

Venezuela on the brink Debt default In November 2017, the oil-rich, cash-poor nation faced its day of reckoning. Credit ratings agencies declared Venezuela and its state-run oil company in "selective default." But Russia offered to restructure the South American country's debt to ensure Caracas pays its other creditors. US and EU sanctions, however, limited the chance of an agreement.

Venezuela on the brink Presidential elections scheduled The National Assembly announced in January 2018 that it would grant Maduro's call for snap presidential elections. The electoral authority, CNE, held the elections on May 20. The EU, the US and 14 Latin American nations warned that they would not recognize the results. The mainstream MUD opposition alliance boycotted the vote, leaving only one possible outcome.

Venezuela on the brink Maduro wins ... Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term with about 68 percent of the vote. Turnout was only 46 percent, according to electoral authorities. However, the MUD opposition alliance put turnout at less than 30 percent. The Organization of American States (OAS) called the elections neither free nor fair.

Venezuela on the brink ... Guaido assumes power But weeks into the new year, the situation took a drastic turn. On January 23, 2019, parliament president Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela — a move that was quickly recognized by US President Donald Trump. Maduro called it a US-backed "coup." Days later, the US sanctioned Venezuela's state oil firm, while Guaido staked his claim on the country's foreign assets.



dm/jm (AFP, AP)