Venezuela is stepping up its diplomatic attack against countries in the region that support opposition claims of fraud in the re-election of Nicolás Maduro as president. Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced on Wednesday arrest warrants against the President of Argentina, Javier Milei; his chief advisor and sister, Karina Milei; and his Minister of Security, Patricia Bulrich, for the seizure of a cargo plane from the Venezuelan state-owned company Emtrasur, held in Buenos Aires in 2022 and handed over to the United States last February. Chavismo is thus responding to an investigation that, protected by the principle of universal justice, is trying to determine from Buenos Aires the alleged responsibility of Maduro and 30 other senior Chavista officials in human rights violations in the escalating repression against the opposition.
The case of the Emtrasur Boeing 737-300 began during the presidency of Peronist Alberto Fernández, who accepted a request from the United States to retain the aircraft at Ezeiza airport and prevent its crew, 14 Venezuelans and five Iranians, from leaving the country. Washington considered that the purchase of the plane from the Iranian airline Mahan Air was irregular and violated the prohibition of exchanging goods of American origin with companies suspected of terrorism. At the time, the pilot was even accused of being a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the rest of the crew of carrying out espionage tasks. They were all finally released by the Argentine justice system due to lack of evidence, but the plane was still being held at Ezeiza. When it was about to be left in a judicial limbo, an Argentine judge ordered its delivery to the United States last February.
Saab now accused the far-right Milei, his sister and his Minister of Security of “stealing and dismantling” the Emtrasur plane. “This whole action is really sickening,” he said before announcing that he would begin proceedings to request the arrest of the president. He accuses them of aggravated robbery, money laundering, unlawful deprivation of liberty, simulation of a punishable act, unlawful interference, disabling of aircraft and criminal association, crimes under Venezuelan jurisdiction. The Argentine government responded through a statement from its Foreign Ministry. “The case [del avión de Emtrasur] “It was resolved by the Judiciary, an independent power over which the Executive cannot and should not have any interference, in accordance with an international agreement. The Argentine Government reminds the Venezuelan regime that in the Argentine Republic there is a separation of powers and the independence of judges, something that unfortunately does not occur in Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro,” the text says.
This is not the only front that Venezuela has opened against Argentina. The prosecutor said that he has appointed a prosecutor to investigate alleged human rights violations in that country. During the press conference, he showed images of the repression against retirees who were protesting against the cuts to their salaries. “Look at this massive attack against the elderly, the young, they have gassed them, they have thrown bombs and pellets at them, just for protesting. We will carry out a serious investigation that will make a difference for the countries. Javier Milei is a brutal danger for the entire hemisphere, so he has no moral authority to attack Venezuelan democratic institutions,” said the prosecutor.
In his quest to position himself as the leader of the global far right, Milei has been at the forefront of attacks against Maduro, whom he does not hesitate to call a dictator. Last week, Argentina, Canada, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay urged the International Criminal Court to request the arrest of Maduro “and other leaders of the regime.” The tension between the two presidents increased due to the refuge granted by the Argentine Embassy in Caracas to six advisors of the opposition to Chavismo and the expulsion of Argentine diplomats decided by the Venezuelan government. The embassy headquarters is currently under the protection of Brazil.
Subscribe here to the newsletter of THE COUNTRY America and receive all the latest news from the region.
