Breaking: Chicken Run [Updated]

/ July 27, 2014
Why would I put a picture of a refinery in a story that has nothing to do with oil?

Why would I put a picture of a refinery in a story that has nothing to do with oil?

[Update: The Dutch confirm Carvajal will be freed and reports say he will board a Caracas-bound flight shortly. Teach your children to traffic coke, folks, it’s the only thing that pays.]

Our favorite story of the week —that which took our attention from the really important stuff— has come to an abrupt end. According to Elías Jaua – who apparently moonlights as a public information officer for the Dutch foreign ministry these days – the Kingdom of Holland approved Hugo Carvajal’s credentials as Consul and ordered his immediate release.

In short, he said that the Dutch had agreed with Venezuela’s arguments, and recognized this was a violation of the Vienna Convention. We have not been able to confirm this with any other sources so far.

This, of course, raises a bunch of questions:

  • Has the US anything to say? What about the request for extradition?
  • Jose Ignacio Hernandez explained at Prodavinci that immunity alone would not suffice to protect Carvajal if the reason for his detention was not related to his functions as head of the Venezuelan Consulate in Aruba. Then, why would the Dutch just go with Venezuela’s lame arguments to release the man?
  • Does everybody fear Diosdado? (Damn!)
  • Is dealing drugs ok now?

President Nicolas Maduro said they would send a special commission to collect Carvajal. I bet he’d rather stay in Aruba. Diosdado, on his (Bona)part, promised they would find the people responsible for El Pollo’s kidnapping.

Disclaimer: this is all based on what Elias Jaua said on national TV (so there is a big chance it is a bunch of horseshit), there hasn’t been official confirmation from the Dutch government.

Related posts

83 thoughts on “Breaking: Chicken Run [Updated]”

    • I will from now on stop following venezuelan politics, this is really a shame. Just when you think there is justice in the world something like this happens and reminds you there is no justice, just material and monetary interests..

      Like

  3. When diplomats arrive in a country, it is often weeks or longer before the head of state greets them and formally accepts their credentials It would be counter-productive and illogical to think that the presumption of diplomatic immunity does not exist for someone arriving with intentions to take up a post but who has as had no chance to yet present his credentials. Whatever Carvajal is or is not guilty of (in some country somewhere), it was yet again another counter-productive overreach by the USA trying to grab someone. It serves no purpose except to get people angry at the overreach. They have rather amateurishly handed Maduro a propaganda victory.

    And just think of the precedent this would have set. If this were allowed, think how many US diplomatic personnel could be arrested as they traversed the globe or then sat around in their newly assigned post before they had a change to arrive and present their credentials. I’m not surprised the Dutch did not allow this. They are big on the rule of law, as well they should be.(Which is also why I’d also be a bit surprised if they now accepted his credentials. Instead, they will send him packing for Caracas … i.e., they de facto reject his credentials.)

    (Just by the way: many ambassadors in Caracas from different countries had to wait months until Chavez would get around to giving them the requisite audience to present their credentials. I remember there was one who ended up finishing his assigned time in Caracas who never did get an audience all the while he was there.)

    Like

          • Well, we dunno, as he has not presented his credentials to the Aruban head of state. In principal, he cold stick around now and await an audience. My strong presumption, however, is that the Dutch also let the Bolivarians know that, yes, he has diplomatic immunity, but if this criminal that Maduro sent them now insists on meeting with the Aruban governor with his credentials in hand, the governor would not be disposed to accepting those credentials.

            So, better to just go home before that happens (hence, Maduro is sending the plane).

            The Dutch would prefer someone else be sent in his place. They too have had their difficulties with getting the Bolivarian state to competently implement anti-drug smuggling laws for KLM flights, etc.

            Like

              • Sewer? I’m thinking more in “International politicis are driven by Realism and power politicis” as it has been, remember the Spanish “not-more-universal-jurisdiction”

                Like

              • What if he wanted to turn himself in?! How can a head of intelligence be so pendejo?! Besides, he knew immigration in Aruba. Why give a false passport?

                Like

            • The Dutch decision makes no sense. Carvajal is accepted as Consul but immediately expelled …?!

              Like

              • Dude! That’s scary. I bought my ticket through Caracas for this September from KLM! The ‘e-ticket’ here says “KLM” :-(

                … Ah ha! Flight may be operated by Air France. .. I see Air France all over the remainder of the thing.

                (I was recalling an episode, indeed, about five or six years back, where KLM had their passengers’ bags drilled through after the Dutch insisted they be checked better for drugs, … and then there was some saga back and forth on how one does inspections…..)

                Whew, you scared me there for a minute there, Juan! I thought this ticket was some new Ven. airline-ticket scam via a phoney KLM homepage! :-)

                Like

            • Sorry, Tom, but that can’t be. The people in Aruba were expressing their concern about this man since the same day he was appointed to be a consul back in January. The Dutch press has been reporting about this and The Hague kept telling people “they hadn’t received a request from Venezuela just yet” (still in June)

              The Maduro government knew this guy was not welcome.

              Like

              • Hi Kepler. Please read my reply to Syd just a few minutes ago. From what I see in the Treaty, as long as the Venezuelan authorities communicated to the Arubans (that can take various forms, as agreed to between the states) that he was on his way, his diplomatic immunity kicked in as soon as he set foot in Aruba. Even if they then declare him persona non grata, the immunity persists within Aruba until he leaves, and as he passes through any third state that agrees to let him pass on his way back.

                It doesn’t seem to matter, as far as I can see, if the press in Aruba or various authorities said publicaly that they don’t want him coming. (You comment doesn’t seem to me to be saying that the Arubans officially rejected him before he arrived. I don’t know of any such claim by anyone)

                Like

            • He could not. According to the Dutch press he was declared persona non grata and told to “split”, as you say.

              Like

              • Yes, I see that. If he was declared yesterday to be persona non grata, the Treaty says he has to leave in the time they give him or a ‘reasonable’ time. BUT, the Treaty is clear that he retains his immunity until he leaves Aruba. the “receiving state” cannot revoke his immunity.

                Like

    • I remember there was one who ended up finishing his assigned time in Caracas who never did get an audience all the while he was there.

      So, he had immunity, Tom?
      And, I take it you once worked at the US-Emb in Caracas?

      Like

      • No. But I was a Fulbright Scholar there, studying the “political economy of oil in the foreign and domestic affairs of Bolivarian Venezuela” and, so, besides interviewing and getting to know lots of oil-sector people in and out of PDVSA, universities, institutes, etc., I would also interview and talk to diplomats from a number of countries who had oil interests in Venezuela (including former and present Venezuelan diplomats).

        I’m trying to remember which ambassador it was who never did get accredited.

        If I recall correctly, even the Canadian fellow had to wait a very long time–obviously because Chavez didn’t approve the then-rightward turn in the Canadian government.

        There was one ambassador who was so frustrated, that I was told the Colombian ambassador (Uribe’s guy) had interceded on his behalf to get him an appointment..

        Like

        • Interesting experience, Tom.
          Wonder if you could answer my first question, as to whether the ambassador, who waited for accreditation ever had immunity. Meaning, does a foreign representative of a government have immunity in the host country, during the period of pending accreditation?

          Like

          • Hello Syd. I don’t have any special knowledge of the legality of these matters. However, in his blog on the Carvajal affair (http://devilsexcrement.com/), Moctavio gave a link to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. HERE: http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/treaties/diplomatic_relations.htm (I think his interpretation is wrong, but that’s a separate matter – it is a very useful reference). Below I’ll past in some text — that I think is pretty clear.

            However: I interpret the Treaty text to mean exactly what I expected to be the case:,i.e., that once a sending country tells a receiving country that someone is coming, that person has diplomatic immunity in the receiving state. (In fact, they have diplomatic immunity in passing through any third state if that third state has issued a visa for the purpose of passing through to take up the post.) Once the persons duties are done, they retain diplomatic immunity for a reasonable amount of time until they leave the country. (By the way, one ambassador always leaves the country before the next arrives.)

            NOTE: In all this, there is no mention of having to first present one’s credentials to enjoy the aforesaid immunity.
            NOTE: It says in the Treaty that is a person is declared persona non grata, they are to leave in a certain unspecified, but reasonable period of time. But again, there is nothing I see in the Treaty saying their immunity is or can be revoked by the receiving state. (Only the sending state can do that.)

            I don’t know what the USA was thinking. On the face of it, this is a very bad precedent that goes against the international rule of law. I imagine the USA/State Department has some explanation as to why they thought this was acceptable Or, perhaps they knew full well it was not, and it was a way to get the Dutch to declare him persona non grata and not accept him. Still, this would seem to be NOT the way to do it

            Here is some relevant text of the Treaty (which I have interpreted above as a a complete amateur)

            Article 39

            Every person entitled to privileges and immunities shall enjoy them from the moment he enters the territory of the receiving State on proceeding to take up his post or, if already in its territory, from the moment when his appointment is notified to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or such other ministry as may be agreed.

            When the functions of a person enjoying privileges and immunities have come to an end, such privileges and immunities shall normally cease at the moment when he leaves the country, or on expiry of a reasonable period in which to do so, but shall subsist until that time, even in case of armed conflict. However, with respect to acts performed by such a person in the exercise of his functions as a member of the mission, immunity shall continue to subsist.

            and read the next article … and search for ‘immunity’ and it is all pretty clear.

            Like

            • it makes sense that immunity in a host country begins the moment a rep of a foreign government enters the host country to take up a post, irrespective of all the paperwork being agreed upon. In that sense, technically, Carvajal’s immunity was accepted by the Dutch (pending paperwork). Once red flags were raised, easily on Carvajal’s entry into Aruba using a false passport, it took some time for the decision to label Carvajal as persona non-grata, while realpolitick was massaged.

              Like

    • Fantástico. Godspeed to any Venezuelan living in Aruba who has to renew his passport any time soon. Te imaginas? Los libritos van a salir con la firma de ESE bicho!…

      Like

      • We can keep the passports for 5 decades and sell them with the signature of “El Mighty Pollo”.
        These people are going to rule the world, if they don’t already

        Like

      • He was declared persona non grata.
        “The fact is that Mr. Carvajal was granted diplomatic immunity, but he is also considered persona non grata. He has to abandon our territory as soon as possible,” Dowers told reporters at a news conference in Oranjestad that was streamed live on the Internet.”

        Like

  5. Apart from Venezuelan democrats, another person must be unhappy about this: ex judge Pamieri Bacchi, who was arrested in Florida as allegedly connected to Carvajal’s crimes.

    Who can he sell out now In exchange for a lower sentence?

    Like

  6. Why would the Netherlands accept a drug dealing, torturer, thief, murderer, liar, fake-passport, corrupt law breaking bastard user as a consul? He will be summarily rejected. It is the Netherlands-Aruba decision, not Venezuela’s.

    Like

    • Why would ANY country accept that type of person?! And it is very clear that any person the regime picks, has some type of story. They are making them consuls so they can travel the globe with immunity?! Screwed up, people. Screwed up.

      Like

  7. How can they accept him if he went in with A FAKE PASSPORT?! Insint that a crime, right there??? He had 2 fake passports and the diplomatic one. PLUS, he had $20K. That’s another crime right there, right?! You can’t travel with more than $10 and not declare it. Come on, world! We are loosing all faith here!

    Like

        • FWIW, I think Amsterdam is a shit hole. People there are incredibly rude (at least they were when I went there a few years ago)

          Like

          • Now we start with the biases, right?
            I just received in Brussels some friends from the US who were firstly in Amsterdam and they told me they were delighted by how friendly the Dutch were towards them…and they told me the Dutch talked to them in very fluent English. Very few US Americans would be able to talk to foreign visitors in the language of those foreign visitors. There are such and such.

            Like

            • Well, they were rude to me in perfect english, I give you that. Specially the security guard in the Rijksmuseum who threatened to kick me out because I dared to point at a painting while talking to my mum.

              Like

  10. Carvajal walks free, Leopoldo rots in a jail……is there no justice in this world…..as for the Dutch…..well they have precedent…..remember Yugoslavia……chickens

    Like

  11. Out of all the fucking ways the release of Venezuela’s number one drug kingpin makes me fucking livid is that I find myself agreeing with every lunatic reactionary republican pol who’s lambasted the Obama White House for weakness over the last six years. But Jesus fucking christ what kind of superpower can’t even lean on a second-tier ALLY – not an enemy, not an adversary, not a neutral country, an ALLY – into handing over one of *the* most wanted criminals in the hemisphere ONCE THAT GUY IS IN THEIR CUSTODY HAVING PRODUCED A FALSE FUCKING PASSPORT AT THE AIRPORT?!? En serio, does the State Department have any notion of power anymore? What the fuck is wrong with these people?

    Like

    • Bajate de esa nube Toro,

      The USA is speeding towards the third-world at top speed, not back in time but forward into inaptitude and corruption.

      Like

    • Sorry, but what is the real interest? The big cartels or Drug bussines may use this country as a trasition place to Europe, but that doesn’t make “criminal that important”, showed by the fact that he isn’t even in the most wanted list. That’s the price to become irrelevant in a Globalized world, other countries are more close to the top of US Priorities.

      Like

    • Dear Quico:
      So you haven’t grown up yet! Yes, Obama is asleep at the switch, but I urge you to try to understand why the ‘Pubs got there years ahead of you: you weren’t watching; they were. Don’t just ask how you could be so dumb: answer yourself! Are ‘Pubs really your enemies, and stupid to boot? Those dastardly Republicans do in fact represent nearly half of my awful Gringo nation, and have ideas worth at least debating in terms other than your loud reactionary dismissals. People who “argue” this way with blind partisanship are the ones who have let Obama get away with what you object to. It’s sad, really, because you are such an eloquent spokesman – yet even you will not learn what you need to know to help unite your people. Liberalism means more than today’s loud partisanship – it means tolerance for and openness to other people’s views – not just ethnics and total enemies, but EVEN REPUBLICANS (and in your case, the silly Carmonas and military communities that would make your stuff and defend the country if they had half a chance). I think you have it in you to think a lot better than this. Stop shouting political correctnesses to your gallery and think about what you’re doing. Do all LatinAmericans think this way? If so, why? Is it right?

      Affectionately,

      Deedle

      Like

    • Quico, you’re absolutely right! This guy’s placet was waiting since January, and Holland probably was NOT going to approve it. Aruba is a big transit point for Venezuelan-transited drugs to reach Europe. Holland needs U. S. cooperation in getting to the bottom of the Malaysian Air downed flight mess, with 150+ Dutch citizens on board .Carvajal entered Aruba illegally with a false passport and had NO diplomatic immunity legally. The Obama Administration tacitly allowed this to happen, and the Venezuelans obviously promised chap oil or some other economic advantage. Hopefully a Rubio-led Administration won’t allow this kind of thing to happen at some time in the future. The entire situation reeks of U. S. weakness, inaction, immorality–you’re right, regarding Latin America, Obama SUCKS!!!!

      Like

    • Need to wait for the US Government explanation. You know, the typical situation where we do not know what they know and neither know what they do not know.

      Like

      • “Holland has the authority to decide what is legal and in their best interests in this matter. They are independent, autonomous, and have patria. Venezuela also has patria. Uh, Ah, Chavismo no se va!”

        Like

        • Evidently, you are confusing “consultations” with “sovereignty” Chavismo style. Perhaps a more realistic approach is to follow a more current and modern Western style.

          Like

    • If this person was connected to Islamic terrorism in any way, he would have been swooped up very quickly, all legal niceties or international law be damned.

      Like

  12. New question: Exactly what leverage did they use on the Dutch government? Offer to pay Royal Dutch Shell’s claim in full?

    Like

    • Bingo. The Dutch are notorious for their love of lucre. Scots are compared favourably to them. Morals, false passports, torture, drug-running don’t even come into the calculation.

      Like

    • Good call. Diego Arria actually gave a reasonable explanation to NTN24 (the Colombian TV station) a few hours ago claiming the Dutch Government possibly backed off due to the effect on the Isla Refinery and therefore in Shell Dutch stock, which apparently will hurt directly the pockets and pension plan of the Dutch people; something too costly politically. He also said that the Dutch Government never accepted Carvajal’s placet, but on the contrary was declared personna non grata, and immediately expelled him. We do not need to be genius to know that this decision was surely consulted with the US Government.

      Like

  14. “Is dealing drugs ok now?”
    Add “support for kidnappers, torturers, terrorists and pedophiles” to that, the farcassassins are all of those in a rotten, tangled shit ball.

    Like

  15. “Why would I put a picture of a refinery in a story that has nothing to do with oil?”

    Everything about nearly every story in this blog has to do with oil.

    Like

    • Roy: Yes. OIL!

      Although, when Perla field* in Deltana IV block, Golfo de Venezuela, comes online late this year and early next, … and then as more and more and more gas comes online from this super-giant field …. well, then the stories will start being not all about oil but “all about oil AND GAS”.

      *Developed by Eni and Repsol, with Repsol as operator [Note: NOT BY PDVSA] and with the project management of the pipe connections to land and processing onshore done my a USA/Houston firm) ….

      Like

      • Pdvsa will take all of the natural gas from the field and use it to cover internal demand (none of it will be exported) . Repsol and ENI will operate the field ( and put the money to begin production ) but get to retain the associated condensate which is pure gold in oil business standards . Good Business for the regime ( which is getting hit by its inability to cover the countries huge natural gas needs) , for Repsol/ Eni ( that get the condensates) . Everybody happy!!

        Like

  16. Quico, before you get your far-west instincts out against the US government, I think we need to get reliable information before getting to conclusions.

    What, from what we think happened in Aruba is reliable and what is just retweets from blog sources?

    Like

  17. btw, in the “thumbnail” promoting this post, under the masthead of Caracas Chronicles, retired Queen Beatrix appears next to the symbol for Shell Oil. I understand the latter. But isn’t it time to update the image in favour of King Willem? After all, he and Máxima were in Miraflores, given chairs with shorter legs, especially Máxima, so that Maduro and Jaua could lay on thick the holding court.

    Like

    • He will be appointed to something big like Henry Rangel Silva. The state of Monagas, where he was born, has a governor who hasn’t fallen out of grace with Maduro.

      Like

  20. What I love in the official pictures of his return, is el Pollo wearing a red Nike top. Makes as much sense as a socialist drug dealer.

    Like

  21. OT but still in the family:
    Did you know Carvajal’s sister is the mayor of Briceno? She replaced El Gato’s brother. El Gato and his brother had been THE politicians in that area of Eastern Llanos since Adeco time. Of course, now El Gato is sad.

    Like

    • Sorry, “the mayor of Cedeño”. So: the Chicken’s Sister replaced the Cat’s Brother (Briceño).

      Like

  22. Well, really, what can you expect from Aruba? They let a psychotic murderer free (Remember Van Der Sloot?) so he could kill again. Even the Peruvians have a better sense of justice than this shithole of an island. Unfortunately, politics will always prevail over right or wrong. It’s a pathetic world w live in today.

    Like

  23. Reblogged this on anagrammatt2 and commented:
    Of the lesser evils! DRUGS and power “suck”…! Where is the good life ? Impunity, opens the doors, like NORIEGA…! After years of jail overseas! Back to the same place of power! NO COUNTRY PROGRESS in Nicaragua!

    Like

Comments are closed.