Ortega lashed out at Argentina for retaining Venezuelan flight

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega called on the Argentine government on Monday to retain the Venezuelan plane and its crew at the request of the United States, and demanded their immediate release.

“They kidnapped 11, 12 Venezuelan brothers because the Yankees took orders from Washington and washed their hands of it, saying it was a matter of justice,” Ortega, a Venezuelan ally, said during the Navy’s 42nd anniversary celebration. .

“Whoever occupies the leadership position of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Argentina, shows the principles of CELAC and becomes a tool of the Yankee empire,” Ortega added. The President identified the Ambassador of Argentina as George Stevens.

Ortega, a former guerrilla in power since 2007, called on the government of socialist Alberto Fernandez to release “the Venezuelan brothers imprisoned in Argentina like the Argentine Miami district” and “return the plane to its place”. The real owners.

“The Chelak leader (…) plays a more shameful, sad, and despicable role than the one he plays. [Luis] Almagro [secretario general de la Organización de Estados Americanos]It is obviously a tool of gringos”, he opined.

Boeing 747 Cargo is a subsidiary of Emtrasur, a Venezuelan airline KanvyasaSanctioned by Washington, he was detained in June after landing at Ezeiza airport from Mexico with a crew laden with Venezuelans and Iranians and auto parts.

On August 2, the United States asked Argentina to seize the plane after a court order deemed it violated US “export laws” when Emtrasur bought the plane from Mahan Air, an airline affiliated with the House of Blanca. Considers it a terrorist organization. The judge accepted the request last week.

Last week, Nicolás Maduro questioned Argentina’s retention of the plane.

Fernández’s government, which at one point criticized Washington’s exclusion of Managua from the Summit of the Americas, last week sponsored a resolution at the OAS condemning the “forced closure of non-governmental organizations, as well as harassment and arbitrary restrictions” in Nicaragua. Voices critical of religious organizations and the government.

Humanitarian organizations count around 190 jailed dissidents in Nicaragua who Ortega accuses of seeking to overthrow him, backed by Washington. Meanwhile, a Catholic bishop critical of the government has been detained by police at his home for more than ten days.