*Updated June 5 - Tracy deported after all charges are dropped*
Guadalajara -
Timothy Hallett Tracy was transported from his jail cell to a Caracas courtroom this morning for formal arraignment, but the proceeding came to an abrupt halt after he asked for medication.
News services covering the proceeding reported that it was unclear what Tracy had requested, or what medical ailments he might be suffering. Court officials said Tracy would be clinically evaluated as soon as possible so that the hearing could continue, perhaps later today.
The 35 year old Michigan man was arrested by Venezuelan Intelligence Service agents early on Thursday morning, and accused of fomenting right wing violence against the new government of president Nicolás Maduro. Maduro, a protege of the late Hugo Chávez who ruled the country from 1999 until his death on Mar. 5, was elected by a narrow margin in an Apr. 14 contest. Venezuela arrests U.S. national Timothy Hallett Tracy.
An arraignment is the first step in a criminal prosecution, where the accused person is formally advised of the charges against him. Federal prosecutors announced that they will try Tracy for conspiracy, aiding and abetting in furtherance of a criminal enterprise, the possession and use of false documents and criminal association.
The false document count allegedly relates to a bogus voter's credential which Tracy was said to be carrying when he was arrested. In many Latin countries, voters' cards are the most highly regarded form of personal identification. They are typically laminated plastic IDs with the bearer's photo, and are considered more authoritative than a driver's license.
In Anglo-American law, aiding and abetting a crime generally makes the actor fully responsible for illegal acts even if he did not directly participate in all, or any, of them. An aider and abettor is often called a conspirator, and sometimes an accessory. Some jurisdictions further differentiate between accessories before-the-fact and after-the-fact, depending on the unique circumstances of the case.
At this morning's hearing prosecutors didn't detail the aiding and abetting allegations. But based upon reports in the Spanish press it appears they will try to prove that Tracy's intent was to incite right wing student groups opposed to Maduro. The country experienced post-election violence which killed nine.
On Thursday a government spokesman said, "We have the documents, direct communications, which prove that it was his intention to start a civil war, which would then lead to intervention by the United States in our country."
The U.S. mission in Caracas has been seeking consular access to Tracy since his arrest. It's unclear if embassy officials have met with him.
President Maduro was out of the country today, on his first visit to Cuba since being elected to a six year term. The Castro regime's official newspaper, Granma, carried a brief article about Tracy's arrest, claiming that he was "linked to the right."
May 6 - Venezuelan justice minister: Timothy Hallett Tracy "neither a photographer nor film maker"
June 5 - Venezuela deports Timothy Hallet Tracy after dropping espionage and sedition charges
Cilia Flores, Maduro's wife, is the First Lady of Venezuela as well as the nation's Attorney General - an arguable conflict of interest, it would seem, since a post-election plot is the government's claim. Nine years his senior, she's said to be an uncompromising believer in Bolivarian socialism.
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
So he is sick. Isn't that convenient?
ReplyDeleteDunno... doesn't seem like a spook, why would CIA use a leftist film maker? Not that the country isn't crawling with agitators, here's to their success.
ReplyDelete