Venezuela Halted Flight Crew in 2008 Over ‘Local Chavez Time’ Remark
- Posted on December 12, 2010 at 3:02am by
Scott Baker
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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The captain and crew of an American Airlines flight were briefly detained in 2008 after a crew member advised passengers to set their watches to “local Chavez time” upon arrival in Caracas, according to a confidential U.S. report released by WikiLeaks.
President Hugo Chavez in 2007 created a new time zone for Venezuela, moving the clock back a half hour on a permanent basis.
The U.S. Embassy report, dated Oct. 1, 2008, and released Friday, said there appeared to be a misunderstanding over one crucial word in the crew member’s announcement: “local” vs. “loco” — which means crazy in Spanish.
The embassy said one passenger, who was a friend of pro-Chavez lawmaker Carlos Echezuria Rodriguez, thought the crew member said “loco Chavez time.”
American Airlines local manager Omar Nottaro reported to the embassy that the crew member announced to passengers: “Welcome to Venezuela. Local Chavez time is …”
The memo, which was written a day after the incident, said the airline manager’s account was contradicted by that of Venezuelan immigration authorities, who wrote in their report that the crew member had announced “the hour of the crazy Chavez and his women.”
Chavez has long traded verbal barbs with U.S. officials. And the incident quickly escalated after the passenger told the lawmaker friend, who was waiting for him outside, “that the pilot had called President Chavez crazy,” the document said.
It said the congressman promptly reported the incident to then Vice President Ramon Carrizalez, who called the head of the civil aviation authority into action. The embassy said Venezuela’s DISIP domestic intelligence agency opened an investigation but deferred to immigration authorities since the crew had not passed through immigration.
The crew then was held in the airport while officials discussed what would be done, the embassy said.
The American Airlines manager told a U.S. diplomat that the lawmaker demanded to hear recordings of the announcements when Flight 903 touched down. But the airline manager was able to defuse 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,” the memo said.
It said the plane left at 11:30 p.m., and the airline manager offered apologies to Venezuelan officials.
The embassy said in the classified report that it was the second incident involving an American flight crew at Simon Bolivar International Airport in a month. It didn’t say what had occurred in the other incident.
Addressing the memo to agencies in Washington and Miami, the embassy said the incident showed “how heightened sensitivities are … when a chance remark escalates within minutes to the level of the Venezuelan Vice Presidency.”
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The Libertarian Atheist
Posted on December 13, 2010 at 3:09amWhat the crew meant to say was “Welcome to the land of Insane Marxist jackasses who set their watches 30 mins behind the real time”. and “Oh yea, Chavez is a lunatic dimwit socialist dictator thug.”
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:12pmIf the LOCO remark wasn’t true, he wouldn’t have detained them! Venezuela’s actions PROVED the insanity of the dictator!
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:11pmI suggest they be more truthful next time. It really is LOCO Chavez time!
Report Post »BuddyAbner
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 7:08pmI’ll never go to Chavezla again…
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 1:50pmhickory dickory doc
Report Post »Texastea44
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 1:38pmHaving some inside information regarding this incident, I fly for AA,
the issue was not a misunderstanding about “local” vs. “loco”,
it was all about an American “mocking” the great leader.
Things got very heated during the time that the crew was held,
Report Post »one of those being the Venezuelan government
impound the AA Boeing 757 aircraft and let the crew return to Miami
on another aircraft.
Rob_M
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 1:32pmAnd our leftist people still hug this guy and admire his nation as an example of what we should be?
Report Post »coalfired
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 1:28pmAnd just think, this is the model being used by our own illustrious “Tribal Chief” to change our society into. Both are “Thin Skinned Communists”.
Report Post »bigdaddybernie
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 12:14pmWhy is AMERICAN airlines even going to Chavezlandia……….maybe they’re not American enough?
Report Post »spreadcommonsensenot pc
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 10:54amHUGOoo chavez has been hangin with irans hock-a-hairball to much—-muslim thinskin touchyness
Report Post »tom
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:45amTypical Spanish speaker making ASSumption about native English speakers, speaking in their own language.
Report Post »Endstatism
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:37amAnd many in the Hollywood left support this goon. Says a great deal about the kind of political system they want for America
Report Post »jColes
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:22amChavez and his buds just tickle the liver out of me…a third-cousin (her father, a British ex-pat is my second-cousin) lives in a small town not far from Caracas…Hugo’s boys have driven her dad out of the country, appropriated the family farm (about four acres) and driven the remaining family into penury…We can laugh at Hugo’s silliness but the tyranny there is serious, malicious, malignant — and dangerous.
Only an administration such we currently suffer under could regard the Chavez government as serious and legitimate…only a like-minded group such as Mr. Obama’s minions would treat with the violently radical socialist vermin in the Venezuelan regime…Mr. Obama and his entire crowd must be defeated in 2012, and then all of O’s incluences must be purged from our government and society. Any friend of Hugo’s is our sworn enemy.
Report Post »OneFunR6
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 11:36amIF “Obama’s minions” and the Puppet master’s have their way there will be NO elections in 2012.
Report Post »Kasey
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:26amAgain, “the hour of the crazy Chavez and his women.”
Report Post »I think that’s a pretty common thing to say, right?
“A penny saved is a penny earned, in the hour of the crazy Chavez and his women.”
- Poor Richards Almanac
Laus Deo
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:10am*Local ass-clown time.
Report Post »Richio
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:02amThe thing about “Chavez and his women” isn’t believable, but Airplane audio isn’t exactly hi-fi.
Now throw in an audience which mainly speaks Spanish…
However, notice the lack of FREE SPEECH.
Report Post »HeavenlyMinded
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 7:59amPeople get “offended” by the dumbest things. Let me guess….Chavez will sue the U.S. for implying that he’s crazy?
Why do they call it common sense, when it’s so rare?
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 6:47amThis is an example of how communist think and act. In their eyes, anyone that has the audacity to demean the supreme authority will be dealt with severely. Venezuala is one place on earth I will never get near, even to change planes.
Report Post »BlueStrat
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 6:31amSung to the tune of “Howdy-Doody Time”
—-
It’s Obama-drama-time, Obama-drama-time
He’ll use Czars to do his crimes
It’s Obama-drama-time
It’s Obama-drama-time, Obama-drama-time
Up Soros‘ butt he’ll climb
It’s Obama-drama-time
It’s Obama-drama-time, Obama-drama-time
His advisers are Commie slime
It’s Obama-drama-time
It’s O-bam-a-dra-ma-tiiiiiiime!
—-
Oh, to see that sung by an Obama version of a Howdy-Doody puppet!!
Now, THAT would make an *awesome* SNL skit!
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 6:24amUsurper obama\soetoro was responsible for a Chavez moment……in June 2008…..when the obama campaign made arrangements with members of the press…..to meet at Dulles International Airport …to interview obama on the plane.
After a two-hour wait, the pilot informed everyone the doors are locked and the plane was taking off. The members of the press were hijacked.
There is a video….on YouTube with the members of the press shellshocked about what was going on, while questioning Robert Gibbs, who was claiming he knew nothing, had not been informed there was a change of plans or why obama was a no-show. Gibbs had a smirk on his face, obviously being entertained by it all….especially when the reporters were anxious about where they were being taken……and why they were not given the opportunity to get off the plane before it took off.
When the media frenzy started over members of the press being hijacked, and whether kidnapping charges should be filed, US Senator Diane Feinstein stepped into the fray, to give obama/soetoro an ALIBI….stating he was at her house having a secret meeting w hillary clinton….although the mass of photogrsphers outside of Feinstein’s house did not get ONE picture of either obama or hillary going in or out.
Feinstein’s alibi did not handle everything….since Gibbs had corralled the members of the press, for over two hours on the plane waiting to conduct the interview, and did not give the reporters the opportunity to get off the plane before it took off.
Maybe this was one of avowed Communist Anita Dunn’s moves…… as the Communications Director for the obama campaign……who boasted about the tricks during the presidential campaign to keep obama from being interviewd,
Report Post »so he would not have to explain his words……… as indicated by Dunn’s own videotaped statements…on a video that popped up prior to Anita Dunn’s resignation as white house communications director…..when she was exposed for representing the white house at a high school graduation promoting the philosophy of Chairman Mao, the deranged Communist leader and genocidal mass murderer, who killed more people than Hitler.
natstew
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 4:26amComing soon to an Airport near you: Obamatime
Report Post »guyperram
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 6:38amYea, just to outdo his buddy, Chavez, he will declare new American Time Zones, One for every 2 min and 30 seconds all across the coutry. Just think of all the jobs created trying to figure out schedules and such. Of course those jobs would be out sourced to India since our kids can’t do basic math, let alone such advanced topics as adding and subtracting fractions.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:14amObamaTime……. over in 2012 or sooner
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 4:00am“the hour of the crazy Chavez and his women.”
——————–
How did the Venezualan d1(k hear “ puta” in the translation ??
Report Post »Alan
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 3:50amLet’s see: local, loco. What the hey, they both work.
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 3:19amThe rest of the world wants to be insulted by the US. They expect it.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:40amAww…..I hate it when a misunderstanding like that, hurts the feelings of any ruthless, evil dictator……pffft
Report Post »Marcobob69
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 8:52amWell, wouldn’t the pilot be telling the truth? As far as I(we)can see, Chavez IS a loco dictator!!! What’s the big deal???
Report Post »Indomitus
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 11:50amInsulted by the US? Are you as crazy as Chavez? That megalomaniac created his own time zone just to mess with the international community, and then he threatened the flight crew with the power of his totalitarian regime when it was reported that someone made fun of it. And the Americans were forced to apologize and flee? Who is being insulted here? It’s about damned time we grew a spine in this country and stopped worrying about whether or not some creep who has no compunction against destroying us utterly has his feelings hurt.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 1:42pmHard not to hate us when we don’t have enough hubris to invent our own time zone. I wonder how long it will take before we get a time zone for DC, Obama time, maybe?
Report Post »proudinfidel54
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 3:22pmWhy doesn’t our great leader boycot that country?? I guess he hasn’t finished reading the book Hugo gave him…
Report Post »heymork3
Posted on December 12, 2010 at 4:03pmNot True. Though, I have met several arrogant business idiots that were very abusive or insulting to people around them, I found most Americans were polite and tried not to offend.
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