VENEZUELA: AMERICAN AIRLINES CREW DETAINED AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 001390 SIPDIS HQ SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD TREASURY FOR MMALLOY COMMERCE FOR 4431/MAC/WH/MCAMERON CA FOR CA/OCS/ACS FOR WILLIAM HURST DS FOR IP/WHA, TIA AND OSAC E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018 TAGS: CASC ASEC MARR PGOV ECON EAIR VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA: AMERICAN AIRLINES CREW DETAINED AT AIRPORT REF: CARACAS 1293 Classified By: Economic Counselor Darnall Steuart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The evening of September 30, American Airlines Country Manager Omar Nottaro (strictly protect throughout) called Econoff to report that the captain and crew of American Airlines flight 903 were being held at the airport. He explained that upon landing a crew member said "Welcome to Venezuela. Local Chavez time is" X. (NOTE: In December 2007 Venezuela created its own time zone, moving the clock back half an hour on a permanent basis. The crew member was likely trying to remind passengers of this and to suggest they turn their watches back 30 minutes. END NOTE.) According to Nottaro, a passenger and friend of Venezuelan National Assemblyman Carlos Echezuria Rodriguez, thought the crew member had said "loco Chavez time." Nottaro's report of what the crew said is contradicted by a copy of the Venezuelan Immigration (ONIDEX) report obtained by a Consular Section Interpol contact which states the announcement had instead been, "the hour of the crazy Chavez and his women". ¶2. (C) The passenger, Nestor Maldonado Lanza, told Deputy Rodriguez who was waiting for him outside, that the pilot had called President Chavez crazy. The Deputy called Venezuelan Vice President Carrizales to report the incident. The Vice President called civil aviation authority (INAC) President Martinez who went to the airport. The Directorate for Venezuelan Domestic Intelligence and Prevention, DISIP, opened an investigation. However, because ONIDEX had not allowed the crew to go through customs, DISIP backed out of investigation and turned it over to ONIDEX which had jurisdiction as the crew had not officially entered Venezuela. The crew then waited inside the airport for the results of a meeting between airport, ONIDEX, INAC and American Airlines staff. ¶3. (C) Nottaro stated Deputy Rodriguez demanded to hear the on-board recordings of in-flight announcements and wanted each crew member to give a statement. Nottaro was able to diffuse the situation by promising to put the crew back on the empty airplane as soon as it was refueled and get the captain and crew out of the country immediately. Nottaro also apologized in person to INAC President Martinez and committed to writing several letters of apology on October 1. Venezuelan authorities accepted Nottaro's offer and the crew left Venezuela at 11:30 pm. American made the decision to turn the plane around even though it meant canceling AA flight 902 out of Caracas the morning of October 1, at considerable cost to the airline. ¶4. (C) This is the second incident involving U.S. flight crews at the Caracas airport in the last month. The first incident on September 13 involved a Delta flight crew (reftel). It is yet another example of how heightened sensitivities are in the bilateral relationship when a chance remark escalates within minutes to the level of the Venezuelan Vice Presidency. CAULFIELD