May 18, 2005
Venezuelan Ambassador to the White House: Caracas expects compliance with international treaties

(El Nacional) - "Venezuelan Ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Álvarez, said Venezuela ratifies the request for the arrest of Anti-Castro Luis Posada Carriles introduced before the Department of State.

The Ambassador said Venezuela 'expects all the cooperation from the United States' to obtain the extradition of the Cuban-Venezuelan to our country. 'We expect compliance with international commitments', he said.

'The extradition treaty between both countries expresses in its article XI the possibility of handing over a person who has escaped from jail, which is the case of this man in Venezuela. We are not talking about someone who presumably committed a crime, but someone who was sentenced. We expect our position to be respected, given the fact that this person was sentenced in 1976 and the existence of a treaty signed in 1922, which allows extradition', said Ambassador Álvarez (...)

Regarding the statement by the American government, according to which the Department of Immigration and Customs does not hand over 'anyone to countries suspected to be acting in favour of Cuba', the Ambassador insisted on the fact that once extradited, Posada Carriles will complete his sentence.

'We are not extraditing him to send him to another country, but to bring him to Venezuela, for him to complete his sentence here', said Álvarez.

At the same time, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jesse Chacón, asked the United States to respect the extradition agreement and send the Cuban exile to Venezuela. 'This man is a terrorist and has been living in American territory under the knowledge of the government that handles the war against terror', said Chacón during a press conference (...)".