This Thursday (15), Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called the Argentine leader Javier Milei “crazy” and “thug” and accused him of stealing Venezuela's cargo plane. The plane, owned by the stateowned company Conviasa, had been in Buenos Aires since June 2022 and was transferred to the United States last Monday (12).
During a televised event, Maduro claimed that Milei, a selfproclaimed hero of the ultraright, was responsible for the alleged robbery. He asked if Milei was pretending to be crazy, really crazy, or both at the same time.
The aircraft in question arrived in Argentina on June 6, 2022 with a crew consisting of five Iranians and 14 Venezuelans. They were initially arrested by the Argentine judiciary, but were later released due to lack of evidence related to the crime of financing terrorist activities.
The seizure of the aircraft was ordered by the Argentine judiciary earlier this year in response to an October 2022 request from the District of Columbia Court. The court ordered Argentine authorities to seize the plane, which was being investigated for possible links to international terrorism.
The Venezuelan government warned in a statement last Monday of a “vigorous response” to what it described as a “blatant theft.” He accused “collusion” between Washington and Buenos Aires and alleged a violation of civil aviation standards.
Milei's rise to power caused an ideological break in relations between Caracas and Buenos Aires, which had already faced tensions during the presidency of Mauricio Macri (20152019) and during the term of Alberto Fernández, which ended in December last year , decreased. Maduro repeatedly accused Milei of wanting to turn Argentina into a “colony of foreign capital” and subjecting the people to neoliberal packages.
With information from the EFE agency