Venezuela Unhappy With
U.S. Drug Plane Response
The U.S. ambassador to
Venezuela said Tuesday
that America is taking
steps to assure its
counter-drug planes
don't violate Venezuelan
airspace again, but
President Hugo Chavez's
government isn't
satisfied.
Patrick Duddy
acknowledged an S-3 Navy
plane flew into
Venezuelan airspace
during an anti-drug
mission over the
Caribbean Sea, saying it
was an accident due to a
navigational error.
But Venezuelan Foreign
Minister Nicolas Maduro
presented Duddy with a
protest letter and said
after their meeting that
he was not satisfied.
"We've received
responses from the U.S.
ambassador that do not
please us," he said,
calling the flyover one
of many U.S.
"provocations."
The plane was detected
by Venezuelan
authorities on Saturday
near the island of La
Orchila, and its crew
was questioned over the
radio by the Caracas
airport control tower.
In the meeting, Duddy
said he reiterated the
U.S. government's
interest in "renewing
counter-drug
cooperation," which has
been scaled back in
recent years. He also
brought up concerns
about alleged links
between Venezuela's
government and leftist
Colombian rebels.
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