Airplane; Maduro on Harris and Trump debate

Nicolás Maduro joked on Tuesday that he “almost” traveled to the United States to attend the presidential debate there but that his “plane was stolen,” referring to the aircraft seized a week ago by U.S. authorities.

“I’m so interested in tonight’s debate that I’m almost leaving,” said Maduro, whose re-election has been questioned. “If they hadn’t stolen my plane in the Dominican Republic, I would have left,” to the clash between the candidates. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in Philadelphia.

The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, was seized on September 2 by US authorities in the Dominican Republic, where it had been held since May, and transferred to Florida.

The Justice Department said the device was illegally acquired and smuggled out for Maduro’s use.

“They left me without a plane, the thief of the president of the Dominican Republic, (Luis) Abinader, who is a bandit, a thief, the people of the Dominican Republic will hold him accountable in due time,” Maduro continued in a mandatory radio and television broadcast in Caracas.

The Dominican government denied having participated in the US investigation that led to the confiscation.

The operation took place amid Washington’s rejection of Maduro’s re-election on July 28, which the opposition called fraudulent. The Dominican Republic also questioned the result and Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations in response.

He had no ties with Washington since 2019, when he rejected Maduro’s first re-election and bombarded Venezuela with economic sanctions. Trump was then the president.

The plane was seen, for example, when the president traveled to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in December 2023, to attend a meeting on the border dispute with Guyana. He also transported Alex Saab, who is accused of being the president’s front man, after a prisoner exchange with the United States.

The debate between Harris and Trump begins at 9:00 p.m. local time (01:00 GMT on Wednesday).