Venezuelan raises security concerns and suspends meeting with Lula in Buenos Aires
Venezuelan President, Nicholas Madurocanceled his trip to Argentina to attend the summit Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), under the accusation that there was a plan of aggression against his delegation. According to analysts, the Fear of being arrested and having his plane impounded may have influenced his decision.
Rumors of the cancellation began Monday when the bilateral meeting with the president was held Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was canceled and removed from the PT agenda. The plan change had been requested by Caracas, already citing security problems.
“In the last few hours we have been informed of a plan worked out at the heart of the neofascist right, the aim of which is to carry out a series of aggressions against our delegation led by the President of the Republic,” the Venezuelan government said, pledging Maduro’s absence at the meeting justify, in which Lula (Brazil), Luis Arce (Bolivia), Gabriel Boric (Chile), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Mario Abdo Benítez (Paraguay) and Gustavo Petro (Colombia) will take part. .
Analysts believe the real reason behind Maduro’s travel ban is fear of a legal siege. The US has issued an international arrest warrant for the Chavista leader, which is precisely why the President only travels to another country if he is certain that he will not be arrested by the authorities there. In addition, the Argentine Congress has an opposition majority and this could increase the chorus for Maduro’s arrest.
“If Maduro does not go to Argentina, it is because he had no guarantee that he would not be captured and sent to the United States. It is also necessary to assess the route that the plane will take to reach Argentine territory and whether it will cross other countries, to have the guarantee of these countries that the plane can pass and will not be forced to land . All of this must be taken into account in order to be able to travel,” he explained Estao Venezuelan Lieutenant José Antonio Colina, who fled Venezuela in 2004 and lives in the United States.
When news broke last week that Maduro had been invited to attend the CELAC summit, representatives of Argentina’s opposition began demonstrating against the trip, demanding the Chavista’s arrest for crimes against humanity.
The Venezuelan government’s statement indicates an attempt to tarnish Venezuela’s image. “They intend to put on a pathetic show to disrupt the positive impact of such an important regional gathering, thereby contributing to the discrediting and failed campaign waged against our country by the American empire.”
Argentina holds the interim chairmanship of CELAC, and that is why the summit is taking place this Tuesday in Buenos Aires. In a press conference, Lula and Argentine President Alberto Fernández commented on the situation in Venezuela and the invitation to Maduro. “The CELAC Summit brings together leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean and that is why all member countries are invited… We have no veto power and we don’t want to have it. The presence of the Presidents of Cuba and Venezuela is a further concern of the communication media than the members of CELAC,” said Fernández.
Asked about the situation in Maduro, Lula asked for respect for peoples’ selfdetermination and said that Venezuela’s internal problems had to be solved with “dialogues, not threats of invasion”.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil and three other diplomats arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday to represent Venezuela at the summit. For the political scientist Erik Del Bufalo, professor at the Simón Bolívar University, the rejection is “positive for CELAC”. “No one wants to be portrayed alongside Maduro, not even those who are supposed to be his allies. It is a disaster for Venezuela and now we need to see the impact.”
more fears
According to Lieutenant Colina, the Venezuelan government would still have to make the journey on an Argentineflagged plane, rather than a Venezuelan one as is usual. “To get there safely, I would have to travel on an Argentine flag plane because I could be stopped in international airspace if I was on a Venezuelan flag plane.”
Another fear Caracas has about traveling on a Venezuelanflagged plane, according to the military, is that the plane would be impounded. “It made everything more difficult and questionable in terms of guarantees for Maduro.”
+Free the best content in your email. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!