The ghost of the Iranian Venezuelan plane Emtrasur returns to the scene. President Nicolás Maduro decided to use the plane’s briefcase to close airspace from Venezuela to Argentina and increase diplomatic tensions as an excuse to prevent voting in the July 28 presidential elections. of at least 150,000 Venezuelans residing in the southern countryanalysts warn.
The confrontation between the two countries began this week with the suspension of Venezuelan airspace for Argentine planes after it handed over the Emtrasur plane to the United States.
This was reiterated by the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil No plane arriving or going to Argentina will be able to fly over Venezuelan airspace.this in response to recent declarations by the Casa Rosada to take diplomatic action against Caracas.
“Venezuela exercises full sovereignty over its airspace and reiterates that no aircraft, coming from or heading towards Argentina, will be able to fly over our territory, until our company is duly compensated for the damage caused, after the illegal actions carried out, only to please his northern guardians,” Gil wrote in his X account.
As if that wasn’t enough, official Gil added: “The neo-Nazi government of Argentina is not only subservient and obedient to its imperial master, but has a spokesperson ‘in front of the council’: Mr. Manuel Adorni pretends to ignore the consequences of their acts of piracy and robbery against Venezuela, which were repeatedly warned before the criminal act committed against EMTRASUR.”
For his part, the Argentine presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni, responded: “Argentina has begun diplomatic action against the government of Venezuela, led by dictator Maduro, after its decision to prevent the use of the country’s airspace to any Argentine plane.”
The Argentine government has announced that it will take measures against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro within the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organization for “violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation”, known as the Chicago Convention. “Argentina will not allow itself to be extorted by its friends of terrorism,” Adorni said in his press conference at the Casa Rosada.
The case of Emtrasur
On February 12, the Boeing 747-300M Emtrasur cargo plane of Iranian company Mahan Air and Venezuelan airline Conviasa, both companies sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC), flew to the United States. where it was destroyed or dismembered following a confiscation request.
The image of the Emtrasur plane allegedly destroyed in the United States spread by the Nicolás Maduro regime.The United States claimed responsibility for the seizure of Emtrasur because it was an Iranian entity sanctioned by the Department of Commerce that sold the aircraft – produced in the United States – to a third party (Conviasa), which is prohibited precisely according to the sanction.
Two years earlier, the Iranian-Venezuelan cargo plane landed on June 6, 2022 with 19 crew members (5 Iranians and 14 Venezuelans) in Buenos Aires where it was arrested by Argentine courts. for alleged financing of terrorist activities and transportation of weapons.
The plane had previously been to Mexico and Venezuela. And two days later he left Argentina to refuel in Uruguay but returned to Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza airport because the Uruguayans had not allowed him to load.
AS, Argentine justice ordered the immobilization of the ship and ordered that the 19 crew members could not leave the country. As time passed, the crew members were released.
Two weeks after the sanctioned plane left, Maduro accused the United States of the “vile, criminal and outrageous act” of “dismembering” the plane in Miami (Florida).
Indeed, former Venezuelan security commissioner Ivan Simonovis greeted the destruction of the Emtrasur plane with images of its fate on his X account: “What a beautiful photo!!! This plane will never fly again, so terrorism will end. Thank you Argentina.”
The vote is in danger
For Elisa Trotta, human rights defender in Venezuela, it is clear that what happened with the Emtrasur plane (let’s not forget that it was requested by US justice because it was used, among other things, to transport weapons of terrorist groups) IS “a simple excuse to continue polarizing with Javier Milei’s government”.
In his interview with ClarionTrotta emphasizes that Chavismo, like any populist autocracy, needs internal and external enemies, and as of December 10, 2023 “they decided that one of the external enemies would be Argentina”.
“They are also using it to prevent Venezuelans, at least 150,000 voters in Argentinathey can register and vote in presidential electionssomething we are asking for and working to reverse,” he underlines.
As for the future of relations between the two countries, Trotta says that “we have to see how far Venezuela is willing to go.” continue to challenge the international system. It is very clear that Argentina will not be intimidated by the actions of a criminal dictatorship like that of Maduro, but it is also very clear that the international community must once again be tougher against a regime that commits crimes against humanity and threatens other countries.” .
The human rights defender specified that in the meeting with the Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino “we ask, for example, that Argentina once again be one of the promoters of the investigation of the International Criminal Court, and of the Argentine Forum for “The Defense of Democracy (FADD) has repeatedly called on democrats around the world to raise their voices against the Venezuelan dictatorship, which increased persecution, repression and torture during this year’s elections.”
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.