Venezuela announces arrest of pilot, other citizens; tightens US travel rules
Tense relations between President Nicolas Maduro and the United States just got more complicated after his government arrested a pilot and other U.S. citizens…
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, center, waves a national flag during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Maduro announced the arrest of alleged U.S. spies and new travel restrictions for U.S. citizens wanting to visit the country. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Tense relations between President Nicolas Maduro and the United States just got more complicated after his government arrested a pilot and other U.S. citizens suspected of spying on Venezuela.
The arrest comes with imminent diplomatic implications, after Maduro announced his government plans to order the reduction of staffers at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, as well as prohibit some U.S. officials from entering his country. This, he explained is supposed to be in retaliation for a similar move by the United States in 2014. Travel restrictions for U.S. citizens wishing to visit Venezuela are also expected to go into effect.
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“We have captured some U.S. citizens in undercover activities, espionage, trying to win over people in towns along the Venezuelan coast,” Maduro said at a rally in Caracas.
Reuters reported that Maduro announced the U.S. pilot was detained in the volatile border state of Tachira, the same state where a 14-year-old boy was shot dead by state police forces amidst protests on the streets last week.
“In Tachira we captured a pilot of a U.S. plane (who is) of Latin origin (carrying) all kinds of documentation,” Maduro said, without offering details.
Anti-government activists are calling the move a smokescreen, according to the same report by Reuters. They say it distracts attention from the economic crisis that has devolved during his Maduro’s extreme-left government.
Maduro said former president George W. Bush, former vice president Dick Cheney and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez would all be among the U.S. politicians blocked from entering Venezuela. These politicians who have been known for their conservative stance against communist and extreme-left governments in Latin America.
An opposition member wearing a pot on her head shouts slogans against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Marchers are taking to the streets of Caracas in dueling protests, with one group calling attention to a crackdown on opponents of the government and another showing support for the embattled socialist administration. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
“The continued allegations that the United States is involved in efforts to destabilize the Venezuelan government are baseless and false a senior official from President Barack Obamas administration went on to tell Reuters under condition of anonymity.
A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Caracas said he was unable to comment, citing a lack of any official diplomatic communication with the Venezuelan government.
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Earlier Saturday, Venezuela released four Evangelical missionaries from North Dakota who had been detained several days ago for unknown reasons. They were banned from coming back for two years.
Travel restrictions to Venezuela
As a result of the strained diplomatic relations between both countries, Venezuela will charge Americans the same tourist visa fees that the U.S. charges Venezuelans, and it will require payment in dollars, which are increasingly scarce in Venezuela.
The U.S. State Department said it had not received any communications from Venezuela and couldn’t comment yet on the new restrictions, which come after the U.S. recently imposed a travel ban on a list of top Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations.
In a statement, it also again rejected Maduro’s claims that the U.S. is plotting against Venezuela.
“We are aware of reports that President Maduro repeated a number of inflammatory statements about the United States during a televised political rally today. The continued allegations that the United States is involved in efforts to destabilize the Venezuelan government are baseless and false,” said the statement, which was emailed by an official who was not authorized to be quoted by name.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
