This Monday, the President of the Republic Nicolás Maduro denounced the hijacking of the Venezuelan plane owned by the EMTRASUR company, a subsidiary of the state-owned CONVIASA, by order of the United States Government.
During his speech, the President questioned the absence of an intervention by the Argentine Government headed by his counterpart Alberto Fernández, for which he repudiated this action, which he described as a kidnapping framed in the illegal unilateral and coercive measures promoted by the White House against the country:
“Now they want to steal a plane from us in Argentina due to a decision by a court in Florida. In other words, from now on, a court in Florida or New York decides to take a ship, an airplane or any property from Venezuela or from any country and can do so? Is there no sovereign domain? (…) Or is it that in Argentina the courts of the United States rule?”, He expressed.
National Outcry:
Earlier, the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, mentioned the case, pointing out the Argentine president as the main person responsible for this illegal action:
“With all the intention of seizing a property that belongs to all Venezuelans, the president of Argentina has kidnapped the crew,” said Cabello, adding that “the Argentine government sides with those who have run over the people of Venezuela».
“It is a political issue of Mr. President Fernández! We do not understand what the cruelty is against our country (…), we know that he has someone who gives him orders, because that is to comply with an order from imperialism, then a judicial order comes from Miami, which they are willing to comply with; but they are not willing to comply with the laws and regulations of international law”, sentenced Cabello.
Chronicle of a kidnapping:
On June 6, the Emtrasur Cargo plane landed in Argentina from Mexico, a Boing 747 belonging to the recently created cargo transport company, which after leaving for Montevideo two days later and having revoked its access to Uruguay, had to return to Argentinean territory finding that his retention had been ordered.
The order had been issued by Argentine federal judge Federico Villena, giving compliance to it by the boarding of the aircraft by at least 60 members of the Airport Security Police (PSA) where some dressed in commando-type suits and anti-drug dogs seized the aircraft. without finding anything unusual.
Along with the order to retain the Emtrasur plane, Judge Villena ordered the confiscation of the passports of all the crew members made up of 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians, as well as their cell phones and tablets.
The arrest is based on the suspicion that Iranian citizens were on board this aircraft as part of the crew, as Judge Villena argued.
Meanwhile, the constant checkings of the plane and the expertise against the personal belongings of the crew members who have not thrown anything, are “to search for documents and traces that can help determine what the crew was doing in Buenos Aires”.
This is how, without formal accusation of any crime, without traces of any illicit activity by the crew or the company, this aircraft continues being held, as well as its crew, which is still in Argentina awaiting their release.
Seizure order:
On August 2, the US Department of Justice transmitted a request to the Argentine authorities to seize the Boeing 747-300 cargo plane, which is located in the city of Buenos Aires. The text indicates that the request was made after an alleged order issued by the District of Columbia court was revealed on July 19.
The order alleges that the plane was manufactured in the US and is allegedly subject to seizure «based on violations of that country’s export control laws» as they do not authorize the transfer or sale from the Iranian airline Mahan Air to the Venezuelan firm.
USA: A promoter of piracy:
The Emtrasur plane was contracted by the auto parts company Faurecia, a supplier of Volkswagen, to take spare parts and auto parts to Argentina from the Mexican city of Querétaro.
According to information reported by various media, the FBI is behind this action against the Venezuelan aircraft, because they would have alerted the Argentinean authorities about the alleged presence of a member of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, that were declared by the United States as a terrorist organization.
Likewise, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had included in its long list of sanctions the Iranian Mahan Air company, which before the sale to Venezuela, acted as the owner of this aircraft, a fact that meant the refusal to refuel in Argentine territory for fear of US reprisals.
According to the UN portal, the evident participation of the United States in the retention of this aircraft was revealed after the request of prosecutor Cecilia Incardona to the FBI and the Argentine AFI, the Chancellory, the Ministry of Security or any other organization that wishes to appear and facilitate if there is any request or suspicion about the 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians.
Despite the fact that there was no petition or relevant evidence against the crew and the aircraft, last Tuesday prosecutor Incardona charged the Iranian pilot and the rest of the crew.
“With the progress of the investigative tasks carried out here, several traces emerged that impose the need to continue the investigation regarding Ghasemi Gholamreza, all the crew that depended on him, the aircraft and its cargo in accordance with the obligations of the Argentine State. to prevent and punish acts of terrorism”, according to the resolution of prosecutor Incardona.
Argentina: blind and dumb:
The Argentinean government has tried to minimize the impact of this action by the justice of the southern country that could lead to a diplomatic impasse with Iran and Venezuela due to the retention of their citizens.
“A Venezuelan plane arrived with which there was no irregularity. On board it were five Iranian people, with respect to whom, as far as we know, there is no type of restriction. Nor with respect to Venezuelans,” declared President Alberto Fernández.
The Argentinean Minister of Security, Aníbal Fernández, joined the words of the Argentine president, and was emphatic in pointing out that, at the time of (the plane) entering Argentina, there were no red alerts from Interpol or any type of similar measure against any of the crew members.
Claim to Uruguay and Paraguay:
For its part, Venezuela has claimed to Uruguay the refusal to receive the aircraft with Venezuelan acronyms, indicating that this action put the crew at risk due to the low amount of fuel it possessed at the time of revoking the landing permit in Montevideo:
«Once they landed, it was found that the aircraft had only 17,000 liters of fuel, well below what is recommended by the Emtrasur Standardized Operational Procedure, which is established at 20,000 liters,» was pointed out in a statement issued by the creole chancellery.
The Uruguayan Chancellor, Francisco Bustillo, responded to the Bolivarian government that the reason is that it is a sovereign country, so it can make any decisions it deems appropriate.
The Uruguayan government reported that it was Paraguay that gave them notice of the supposed background of the plane.
This action by Uruguay and Paraguay that put the crew at risk, coupled with the silence and lack of determination maintained by the Argentinean Government, reveal this new action sponsored by the United States whose denominator is illegality, the submission of some Governments to the North American hegemon and the impudence of a US judicial system that continues to promote the extraterritoriality of its laws.
