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Catherina

(35,568 posts)
Thu Jul 18, 2013, 10:47 AM Jul 2013

US Threatens To Eliminate Trade With Venezuela If It Provides Snowden With Asylum

Translations mine

US Threatens To Eliminate Trade With Venezuela If It Provides Snowden With Asylum


The United States could eliminate trade relations with Venezuela, including the sale of gasoline and petroleum products if the country grants asylum to former CIA agent, Edward Snowden.

The pressure expanded last Thursday when U.S. visas for senior officials of the Venezuelan government and a group of businessmen linked to the government of Nicolas Maduro were revoked said the Spain's newspaper ABC.

According to the report (information), after Snowden made a statement that he accepted political asylum in Venezuela but that his transfer would be complicated for the moment, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry contacted the Foreign Minister Elias Jaua to warn him that any Venezuelan plane suspected of transporting Edward Snowden will not be allowed to fly over U.S. airspace or the airspace of any NATO member country.

It's speculated that Washington fears Snowden can leverage his asylum in Russia and then take refuge in the Venezuelan Embassy in that country.

http://yaesnoticia.com/internacional/ee-uu-amenaza-con-eliminar-relaciones-comerciales-si-venezuela-asila-a-snowden/

[hr]

July 18th, 2013 8:05 a.m.

U.S. Begins Reprisals To Forbid Venezuela From Allowing Snowden Asylum

United States has already begun to implement actions to pressure Venezuela in order to prevent the country from welcoming former U.S. intelligence employee Edward Snowden. Washington proceeded last week to revoke the U.S. entry visas of Venezuelan government officials and businessmen associated with the Chavista government. Furthermore, in a phone call, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, told the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua of other measures the U.S. will apply if Snowden's asylum is realized (is consummated), such as the suspension of sales of gasoline and oil from the Caribbean country, which is vital to maintain daily activity in Venezuela.

Kerry called Jaua on Friday night, hours after Snowden made a public statement accepting Venezuela's asylum offered, but expressed his momentary inability to leave Russia. With strong language, as described by sources familiar with the conversation, Kerry explained the extreme importance U.S. gives to this issue and warned that any Venezuelan plane suspected of carrying Snowden will not be allowed to fly over U.S. airspace or any NATO country.

Kerry hinted (made it understood) that if Snowden was on President Nicolás Maduro's Presidential Jet there would not be a repeat of what happened with the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, after the diplomatic problems that caused, but this means Maduro would have to personally go fetch him. "The immunity is not for the plane, but for the President", stated Kerry according to sources.

...

«Means of Pressure»

The revocation of visas for senior government officials and big business entrepreneurs linked to the government has been in effect since at least last Thursday, when some of them began receiving notice from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. The measure, which does not affect the short-term visas for visiting Venezuelans tourists, seeks to bring business and political pressure on President Maduro to stop extending his hand to the U.S. fugitive.

As possible actions, the sources also mentioned the materialization of charges against prominent Chavista leaders against whom Washington is preparing charges for involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities. Kerry specifically mentioned some names in his conversation with Jaua.

«Leaving from Vladivostock (Snowden) could make a single stopover in Nicaragua»

The fear in Washington is that Snowden can take advantage of a temporary asylum in Russia to leave the airport in Moscow and find refuge in the Embassy of Venezuela in the Russian capital or to move to another part of Russia from which a flight to Caracas is more feasible. If he flies out of Vladivostok, a Russian city on the Pacific coast, for example, he could make a single stop in Nicaragua, avoiding overflying other countries.

...

http://dossier33.com/2013/07/eeuu-aplica-represalias-para-que-venezuela-no-permita-asilo-a-snowden/

The article goes on to say that President Maduro's jet is capable of handling that distance.

There are quite a few articles about this in the Latin American press this morning, like here, here


This was President Maduro's response a week ago (July 11) when pressure had already begun but before Friday's phone call.

President Maduro states that "no one can threaten us. The day Edward Snowden decides to come, we welcome him".


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