The government of Venezuela described in a statement the confiscation by U.S. authorities of the plane used by Nicolás Maduro for his international travel as "piracy" and "a recurrent criminal practice."
"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces to the international community that once again the authorities of the United States of America, in a recurring criminal practice that can only be classified as piracy, have illegally confiscated an aircraft that has been used by the president of the Republic, justifying themselves with the coercive measures that are imposed unilaterally and illegally around the world," says the statement, published on the Instagram account of the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The note adds that "this action reveals that no state and no constitutional government is safe from illegal actions that disregard international law"; a curious point considering that there are several governments around the world that do not currently recognize Nicolás Maduro's government as constitutional or legal following allegations of electoral fraud against him.
"The United States has already demonstrated that it uses its economic and military power to intimidate and pressure states such as the Dominican Republic to act as accomplices in its criminal acts," added the Foreign Ministry; which then referred to "the law of the strongest" to "create norms that align with its interests and execute them with total impunity."
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry -which referred to "an escalation of actions" against Maduro- went on to say that it "reserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage to the Nation, as well as all other damages caused by the criminal policy of unilateral coercive measures."
The statement from Maduro says that he was "reelected by the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people on July 28," and that "he will not be pressured by any aggression."
"Venezuela is respected and continues to firmly defend its dignity and sovereignty," concluded the statement.
Until the closure of this note, the ruler Nicolás Maduro has not appeared on national television regarding the issue.
The plane - a Dassault Falcon 900EX private jet - was confiscated in the Dominican Republic on the morning of this Monday and transported to Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida.
"The Department of Justice seized an aircraft that was illegally acquired for 13 million dollars through a shell company and was smuggled out of the United States for the use of Nicolás Maduro and his accomplices," stated U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement.
The United States claims that in late 2022 and early 2023, individuals linked to Maduro used a shell company based in the Caribbean to hide their involvement in the illegal purchase of the plane.
In April of last year, the aircraft was illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela via the Caribbean, and starting in May 2023, the aircraft flew almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela.
In recent hours, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez clarified that his government did not participate in the investigation that led to the confiscation of the plane.
"Neither the Dominican government nor the Public Ministry have participated in the investigation process in the United States, only that international legal cooperation was required, and since the indicated norms were complied with and respective judicial orders were obtained, the Public Ministry complied with what the courts ordered," Álvarez said to reporters.
"The aircraft was in Dominican territory for maintenance purposes," he added.
In Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the seizure of the aircraft.
"Once again, Venezuela is the center of aggression and blackmail. We denounce the plundering of resources that belong to the Venezuelan State and demand the total lifting of unilateral coercive measures against our Venezuelan brothers," wrote Díaz-Canel on X.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, also expressed his condemnation.
From Florida, on the other hand, Cuban-American Congressman Carlos Giménez referred to the event as a step forward in which "he (Maduro) will soon be extradited to the United States for his endless crimes against humanity."
With this episode, investigations into the Venezuelan government intensify amid tensions over the electoral fraud committed by the ruling Nicolás Maduro on July 28, for which the United States government has been very critical.
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