InSight Crime translates an excerpt from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's weekly column, "Las Lineas de Chávez," in which Chavez speaks of Colombia's decision to extradite alleged Venezuelan drug trafficker Walid Makled to his home country instead of the US. Makeled is thought to have knowledge of corruption at the highest levels in Venezuela.
"On Tuesday November 16, (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos said that his government would extradite Walid Makled drug trafficker extradited to Venezuela. I quote verbatim his words: 'I gave my word (to President Chávez), and once the legal proceedings are over he will be extradited to Venezuela. I am a man of my word.
'This 'capo' has to responde to the Venezuelan justice for countless crimes.
I believe that this announcement is of utmost importance and reaffirms the common policy, shared by President Santos and this president. Let's not get distracted: the political will that is necessary for the vigorous revival of relations between Colombia and Venezuela is on course, as is the growing trust between our two countries.
The imperial rulers want Makled to be extradited to the United States. Washington wants to use him to vomit all sorts of accusations against the 'Bolivarian Revolution,' against the political and military leadership, so it can include Venezuela in the blacklist of countries supporting the drug trade.
Do not forget that the mainstream media, nationally and internationally, has been positioning the image of Venezuela as a rogue state, following the imperial strategy and creating the conditions for a military intervention. What it comes down to is that they want to bring this president before the International Criminal Court. They will fail: they will not be able to repeat the tragic scene of Panama in 1989. Here there is a people and an Armed Forces that are ready to protect our sovereignty.
I believe in the word of President Santos. And I have the assurance that the Government of Colombia is not going to partake in Washington's nauseating games that it devises in its dirty war laboratories."
Original Text:
"El martes 16 de noviembre el Presidente Santos anunció que su Gobierno extraditará al narcotraficante Walid Makled a Venezuela. Quiero citar textualmente sus palabras: Yo le di mi palabra (al Presidente Chávez) y una vez se surtan los trámites jurídicos se hará la extradición a Venezuela. Yo soy un hombre de palabra.
Este capo tiene que responder ante la justicia venezolana por sus innumerables delitos.
Considero que este anuncio tiene la mayor importancia y reafirma la voluntad política común y compartida, por el Presidente Santos y por este servidor, de no dejarnos descarrilar: la voluntad política que es necesaria para que el vigoroso proceso de relanzamiento de las relaciones entre Colombia y Venezuela prosiga su curso, fortaleciendo la confianza entre nuestros dos países.
El imperio pretende que Makled sea extraditado a Estados Unidos. Washington quiere usarlo para que vomite toda clase de acusaciones contra la Revolución Bolivariana, contra su liderazgo político y militar, y así incluir a Venezuela en la lista negra de países que apoyan al narcotráfico.
No se olvide que la canalla mediática, nacional e internacional, ha venido posicionando la imagen de Venezuela como un Estado delincuente, obedeciendo a la estrategia imperial de crear las condiciones para una intervención militar. En último término, se trata de llevar a este servidor ante la Corte Penal Internacional. Fracasarán: no van a poder reeditar el trágico escenario de Panamá en 1989. Aquí hay un pueblo y una Fuerza Armada con la más firme disposición de hacer respetar nuestra soberanía.
Creo en la palabra del Presidente Santos. Y tengo la certeza de que el Gobierno de Colombia no se va a prestar a este nauseabundo juego de Washington a través de sus laboratorios de guerra sucia."
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