Venezuela accuses TAP of transporting explosives: Portuguese government orders investigation
The Portuguese government has ordered the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration to investigate the incident reported by the Venezuelan government, which ended with the arrest of Juan Guaidó's uncle, Juan José Marquez, on the landing of a flight operated by TAP. The Venezuelan government accuses the Portuguese airline of violating international standards and of allowing the transport of explosives on an airliner, even going so far as to implicate the Portuguese ambassador to Venezuela. For its part, Portugal has decided to conduct an investigation to find out more. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this case between Lisbon and Caracas.
Venezuela accuses TAP of transporting explosives: Portuguese government orders investigation
Venezuelan government accuses TAP of violating "international standards", of allowing explosives to be carried on an airliner and of hiding the identity of the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, on a flight to Caracas.
Venezuelan authorities also accuse the Portuguese ambassador to Caracas, Carlos Sousa Amaro, of interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs, by arresting Juan Guaidó's uncle, Juan Marquez, as he landed on the same TAP flight. The latter is accused of having transported explosives and in particular C4 in this airliner.
The Portuguese government has already denied the accusations and the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that it "made no sense". However, the discourse has changed slightly since Caracas accused Lisbon of wanting to minimize the affair. Indeed the Portuguese Minister of the Interior Eduardo Cabrita now declares that an "investigation to determine the facts" will be carried out.
“We are proud to be an exemplary safe country. In this case, as in all the others, we determine that the necessary verifications are carried out with regard to the allegations concerning the facts reported. Nothing indicates their existence. ” said Portuguese Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita.
Juan Gaidó was coming back from an international tour
"There is not the slightest hint of what was said" yet, according to the minister.
Juan Guaidó, who arrived in Caracas after an international tour that started on January 19 in Colombia, also went to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, France and the United States of America, after having met different leaders and even the American President, Donald Trump.
A few hours after arriving in Caracas, Juan Guaidó reported that his uncle Juan José Márquez, who had traveled with him on the same flight, disappeared after being stopped by customs officials.
He was arrested on arrival in Caracas because of the alleged transport of dangerous goods identified as "synthetic explosive C4". The president of the Constituent Assembly of this country, Diosdado Cabello, then criticized the Portuguese airline and the Portuguese ambassador to Caracas.