Aruba Frees Narco General Wanted in US

Venezuela has scored a win in its ongoing diplomatic and propaganda war with Uncle Sam.

The most recent flare-up started July 24, when authorities in Aruba arrested Gen. Hugo Carvajal, a top Venezuelan official wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges. Carvajal had been military intelligence chief under the late Venezuelan president Hugo Cháve and was accused by the US Treasury Department of using his position to protect cocaine shipments for Colombia’s FARC guerillas. He had just arrived in Aruba after being appointed Venezuela’s consul there — and was promptly detained at Washington’s behest.

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro called the detention a “kidnapping,” and demanded Carvajal’s immediate release. And three days later, a judge on the island found that since Carvajal had a diplomatic passport, his arrest was illegal. He was sprung and quickly made the short flight back to Venezuela. “He’s returning free and victorious. It’s a triumph for sovereignty and legality,” president Maduro said, praising the “bravery” of the Dutch government.

Aruba, just 27 kilometers off Venezuela’s coast, is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Chávez had accused Aruba of serving as a staging ground for US destabilization plots against Venezuela, with Dutch complicity. Washington and Venezuela have been at odds before over figures wanted by either one side or the other over narco-corruption.