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O 8MAR 1990
021526
MDHIAN 9409
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DESK
TELNO 55
INDEX
MA
on teker.
OF 021441Z MARCH 1990
INFO DESKBY 03010OZ HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
MY TELNO 53: ACTING CONSUL GENERAL OF VENEZUELA
SUMMARY
1. NEW OF RAMIREZ'S ARREST SPLASHED IN TODAY'S CARACAS PRESS. MFA PRESS BRIEFING APPEARS TO HAVE AVOIDED HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US OVER INTERPRETATION OF VIENNA CONVENTION. VENEZUELAN REQUEST FOR RETURN OF RAMIREZ NOT REPORTED. FURTHER NOTE TO VENEZUELAN MFA IN PREPARATION, BASED ON HONG KONG TELNO 793.
DETAIL
2. AS ALREADY REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT BY TELEPHONE AND FAX THE NEWS OF RAMIREZ'S ARREST AND OF OUR EXCHANGES HERE WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY ARE FRONT PAGE NEWS IN THE CARACAS PRESS THIS MORNING. IT IS CLEAR (DESPITE WHAT TAYLHARDAT SAID TO ME YESTERDAY AFTERNOON) THAT THE MFA HERE BRIEFED THE PRESS IN SOME DETAIL ABOUT THE CONTENTS BOTH OF OUR NOTE VERBALE OF 28 FEBRUARY AND THE VENEZUELAN REPLY HANDED TO ME YESTERDAY (MY TELNO 54).
3. THE PRESS REPORTS DO NOT HOWEVER MAKE CLEAR THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY TOOK ISSUE WITH US OVER THE JUSTIFICATION OF RAMIREZ'S ARREST UNDER THE VIENNA CONVENTION, THOUGH EL NACIONAL STATES THAT ''CONSULS ENJOY DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AND CANNOT BE DETAINED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PRIOR JUDICIAL DECISION'', NOR DOES THE PRESS REPORT THE REQUEST MADE TO ME ORALLY BY TAYLHARDAT THAT RAMIREZ BE PERMITTED TO RETURN TO VENEZUELA TO HELP THE VENEZUELANS IN THEIR ENQUIRIES AND FACE TRIAL IF NECESSARY. THESE OMISSIONS ARE HELPFUL.
4. IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES WE ARE CONFIRMING THE REPORTS OF RAMIREZ'S ARREST AND SUBSEQUENT RELEASE ON BAIL, OUR NOTIFICATION OF THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VIENNA CONVENTION, AND THE VENEZUELAN REQUEST TO US FOR CO- OPERATION IN THEIR OWN INVESTIGATIONS. IF NECESSARY, WE SHALL COUNTER SUGGESTIONS THAT THE ARREST WAS NOT (NOT) IN ACCORDANCE
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