US Pilot Said He Entered Venezuelan Air Space By Mistake

 

Jan. 08, 10 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Venezuelan authorities released what they say is the evidence that proves a US warplane took off from Curacao, an island near in the Caribbean north of Venezuela controlled by the Dutch government, and violated Venezuelan air space in May 2009.

 

The evidence televised on a local television station in Venezuela played a radio conversation between the pilot of a US jet and the control tower at Maiquetia airport on May 17^th, 2009. The transcript showed that Venezuelan authorities asked the pilot to identify itself and the pilot said that it was a US military plane originating from Curacao. The pilot said it didn’t have permission to enter the Venezuelan air space and was unaware of its whereabouts. ‘I was not conscious of having flown into this air space.’ The pilot said. 

 

Venezuela’s Vice-President and Defense Minister Ramon Carrizalez said this shows US violated the Venezuelan air space and like conducting similar operations in other countries, it seeks to create the conditions to justify future aggression against the country.  He warned the US against repeating similar violations, ‘…no country should think it can attack our sovereignty in impunity, without receiving a decisive response.’

 

The Dutch government denied reports that it was helping US flights from the islands. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen declared last week that Holland never permits the use of its territory for aggression against other countries and seeks good relations with Caracas.

 

Holland and United States claim they are conducting flights to combat drug trafficking in the area, but the Venezuelan government dismissed such a claim as an excuse to justify aggressions against Caracas. It said there are “doubts that the facilities that the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has put at the disposal of U.S. military personnel are used for the fight against drug trafficking.”

 

Venezuela has been at odds with US aggressive designs in the area since Hugo Chavez became the President of this oil rich Latin American nation.