U.S. Manhandles Venezuelan

“They harassed and roughed him up. When he told them he was a diplomat from Venezuela, they made a phone call. The foreign minister thought the people who were coming were going to clear up the situation, but instead when they arrived he was harassed more. They made him spread his legs and his arms, and then they put him up against the wall.�—Venezuelan official

(Foreign minister Maduro).

On Saturday, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro was leaving the country on his way back to Venezuela when he was detained by Transportation Security Agents (TSA) and handcuffed for over an hour and a half at JFK International Airport.

“They never said why they detained him,� a Venezuelan official told The Black Star News. “They harassed and roughed him up. When he told them he was a diplomat from Venezuela, they made a phone call. The foreign minister thought the people who were coming were going to clear up the situation, but instead when they arrived he was harassed more. They made him spread his legs and his arms, and then they put him up against the wall,� added the official, referring to Transportation Security Agents (TSA) Supervisors.

Maduro remained in the United States to denounce the treatment he was given at JFK airport and returned to the Venezuela mission where he called a press conference. A lawyer was later called to present the matter to the United Nations. The State Department has issued an apology.    

The build up to this blatant violation of international law actually started earlier in the week. After President Hugo Chavez referred to Bush as a “devil,� during his remarks at the U.N., Rep. Charles Rangel chastised the Venezuelan. “I draw the line at allowing a foreign leader to come into my country and my community to personally insult my President,� Rangel claimed.  

Never mind that Rangel was talking about a head of state who spoke about another head of state. This is a man who said he is going to give Rangel’s constituents low cost heating fuel for the winter, and provide the energy completely free for the very poor. It’s remarkable how Rangel quickly found the time to speak out and denounce Chavez’s remarks about Bush. Where was the concern for the flood victims in New Orleans when, your “president,� took five long days to send help – right here in the USA?

I still have roots in Harlem and consider it a safe place to live and for heads of state to visit.  However, I also consider myself to be a security buff. Having noticed the breaches of security inside the church’s upper balcony area – startled me. While there was a lot of protection around the pulpit, where President Chavez was speaking – not all doors were covered. Were these security lapses coincidental?  You be the judge.

Note to readers: Watch Manhattan cable channel 34 or www.mnn.org channel 34 every Sunday at 7:30 P.M. for news updates and other articles.  If you have any comments contact Winkfield or for his consideration regarding covering your own story.  Write to [email protected] or call (212) 481-7745 or On The Spot, Post Office Box 230149, Queens County 11423 or email:  [email protected].  Together we can get the justice everyone just talks about.

 

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