Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demanded that Argentina return the Boeing 747-300M seized by it in accordance with US sanctions.
“They want to steal our plane, just like they stole our gold in London and just like they stole our Citgo,” Maduro said in a TV interview on Wednesday.
He added: “We are protesting to return the Venezuelan plane to us.”
The U.S. Justice Department has asked the Argentinean authorities to seize the aforementioned plane, which Iran handed over to Venezuela earlier in violation of Russian sanctions.
The plane belonged to the Iranian company Mahan, against which the United States had previously imposed sanctions, and the Iranians transferred it to the Venezuelan company Imtrasur, affiliated with the Conviasa Corporation, against which Washington also imposed sanctions on.
The plane arrived in Argentina from Mexico on June 6, with 19 people on board, citizens of Venezuela and Iran.
The Argentine authorities also detained the crew of the plane, including 5 Iranians, including a former officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Source: RIA Novosti