Nicolás Maduro’s regime pointed a commander, Jose Rafael Silva Aponteas their ambassador to Tehranwho participated in the 1992 coup attempt together with one of the crew members of the Venezuelan-Iranian plane Emtrasur, held in Buenos Aires since June 6.
The now diplomat Silva Aponte was pointed commander of the Bolivarian Air Force since 2020. He had a military career since he participated in November 1992 in the second coup attempt against Carlos Andrés Pérez, led by the late Hugo Chávez Frías, who broke out on February 4 of that same year in the first blow against democracy.
The new ambassador to Iran was also Chavez’s aide-de-camp. The officers who were involved in the two military coups of 1992 they have done well in these 23 years of chavismo.
have occupied high ranks in the direction of public administration, economy, services, finance, telecommunications and transportation, as well as illicit activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking and corruption.
The link with the Iranian plane
Silva Aponte’s links with the crew of the plane held in Ezeiza come from their common past with the coup officials. Between 2017 and 2018 he was commander of the El Libertador air base in Palo Negro, Aragua, near Caracas, where he is Emtrasur headquarterscargo subsidiary of the Venezuelan airline Conviasa, founded in 2020.
Hotel Plaza Canning Desing where the crew of the Iranian plane would stay. Photo: Luciano Thieberger
The Emtrasur aircraft, Boeing 747-300 registration YV3531, seized at the Ezeiza international airport had an unusual crew of 19 people (5 Iranians and 14 Venezuelans).
In the list of the 14 Venezuelan crew members, the name of Cornelio Trujillo Candor, 66 years old, who is indicated by Venezuelan media as one of the pilots that on November 27, 1992, he participated in a coup attempt to free Hugo Chávez, who was in prison. Hence his link with his comrade-in-arms, the new ambassador Silva Aponte.
Pilot Trujillo is a graduate of the Venezuelan Military Academy and throughout his career he achieved some milestones such as promotion to the position of Aviation Lieutenant Colonel.
is also between the founders of Conviasathe Venezuelan flag airline in which other of his crewmates work with whom he has been staying at the Plaza Canning Hotel for a few days.
In addition, according to the portal monitoreamos.com, on November 8, 2006, he was pointed general manager of Aeronautical Safety of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC).
“He is not a popularly known character in Venezuela, he is not super well-known. Yes, it is for some military experts or older journalists who have covered the coup, ”a Venezuelan journalist who preferred to protect his identity told Profile.
The Venezuelan airlines Emtrasur and Conviasa, as well as the Iranian Mahan Air, which previously owned the cargo aircraft involved in the case, are sanctioned by the OFAC (Federal Assets Office) of the United States Department of the Treasury for his alleged participation in terrorist operations around the world through logistical support.
Caracas, correspondent
