Venezuela frees, expels U.S. filmmaker

[Bacchus4.0]

Source: CNN



(CNN) -- A U.S. filmmaker arrested in Venezuela and accused of instigating unrest was released from prison and expelled from the country, his attorney told CNN affiliate Globovision.

---------
Tracy, 35, of Los Angeles, was arrested in April at the Caracas airport as he prepared to leave the country. He was accused of funding opponents of President Nicolas Maduro, successor to the late Hugo Chavez.

His lawyer said he was released because there was not sufficient evidence to hold him.

Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice Miguel Rodriguez confirmed the release on his Twitter account, but maintained that Tracy was "captured doing espionage in our country."



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/world/americas/venezuela-us-filmmaker/

[zeemike]

1. And for those interested about this "Film Maker"

I found this...

Timothy Hallet Tracy: U.S. Spy or 'Filmmaker'? … You be the Judge (Aporrea, Venezuela)



"When does an innocent filmmaker go to a country without a film crew? To our knowledge, Tim Tracy was alone in Venezuela. ... As we know, agents of the CIA, NSA, Mossad, etc., have agents who are disguised and have a thousand ways of entering countries undetected: as filmmakers, journalists, mountain climbers, and even diplomats."


http://worldmeets.us/ http://worldmeets.us/aporrea000003.shtml#ixzz2VLjB1MY7

http://worldmeets.us/aporrea000003.shtml#axzz2VLh58aIG

[Bacchus4.0]

2. independent film maker. he's done other films

and the inept and corrupt Venezuela admin simply was looking for a scapegoat. If he were a spy, why did they let him go?

[bitchkitty]

3. Because everyone knows

that justice is a perfect process; criminals never go free on technicalities or the aforementioned lack of evidence.

What color is the sky in your world?

[Bacchus4.0]

9. lack of evidence no doubt. So why was he detained in the first place? n/t

s

[bitchkitty]

11. For espionage?

Of course I realize that our policy is to immediately come clean when one of our guys is outed or caught, and to admit everything. Since that didn't happen in this case, no doubt he was completely innocent and it was all made up by the socialist government because they're jealous of our freedom.

Did I leave anything out?

[geek tragedy]

17. Why, no, there's no doubt that everything the Venezuelan government

says is true.

If you live under a socialist government, you should not question anything the government says.

[bitchkitty]

55. Oh, you're so right.

No dissent whatsoever is tolerated in Venezuela. The news organizations there lavished praise on Chavez, and now on Maduro.

There are only progressive media in Venezuela. There are no right wing news stations that do things like publish doctored photos of Chavez, or report out and out lies. That would NEVER happen!

Do I really need a sarcasm icon here?

And what the fuck do you know about living under a socialist government? You've been watching way too many movies.

[geek tragedy]

56. No, I'm agreeing with those who have never found

fault with Venezuela's government.

They NEVER abuse power, and none of Venezuela's problems are their fault.

We should believe everything Venezuela's government says--because Venezuela's government never lies.

I'm joining the many DUers who have realized that the Bolivarians are the finest government in human history.

[bitchkitty]

57. I guess I'll answer my own question:

And what the fuck do you know about living under a socialist government?

Absolutely nothing...

[Bacchus4.0]

18. yep, arrested without evidence, I agree with everything else you said about arresting an innocent

and was completely made up by the inept and corrupt government of Maduro. I suspect Maduro was watching Argo one day and heard news about Tracy and immediately thought CIA.

[bitchkitty]

19. Because knowing and proving are two different things.

Of course, in your world, prosecutors and the law always have perfect evidence against every criminal charged with any crime. No scumbag ever walks in la-la land...

I suspect Maduro was watching Argo one day and heard news about Tracy and immediately thought CIA.

I suspect that you pulled that statement straight out of your ass. Talk about lack of evidence! LOL

[Bacchus4.0]

20. Maduro ordered his arrest personally

You would think there was some evidence to support that arrest. Looks like there wasn't.

[zeemike]

23. Who is looking?

I never once heard if from them....did anyone even ask why?

[Bacchus4.0]

26. no entiendo n/t

s

[zeemike]

28. I have seen no statement from Venezuelan officials.

Only statements about them....a prudent question would be to ask what he did that made them think he was a spy...but I suspect that no one will ask it.

[Bacchus4.0]

29. the 'reasons' for his arrest have been in the news, his release coincides with John Kerry

meeting with their foreign minister. Thats no coincidence. I suspect that Venezuela will ask the US to officially recognize Maduro or some other quid pro quo.


http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-26/world/38826462_1_henrique-capriles-president-nicolas-maduro-carl-meacham

An American filmmaker was caught in the middle of the turmoil this week, arrested at the Caracas airport and accused of being a secret agent working to spark a civil war.

“The gringo who financed the violent groups has been captured,” Maduro said in comments carried on state television.

[zeemike]

30. The reason according to WaPo

"Tracy was accused of having provided financing and directions to university students looking to spark conflict, filming hundreds of videos as he carried out his plans."

So is their any evidence for that?...is any one looking at that evidence if it exist?....or do we do what we always do, accept the State Department statement..

"Ostick said the United States “categorically rejects allegations of a U.S. government effort to destabilize Venezuela or harm anyone in Venezuela.”

“These allegations have not in any way been substantiated,” he said.

Like those statements mean shit when it comes to covert operations...it is like asking the criminal if he is guilty and then saying his denial must be true because he would never lie about that.

[Bacchus4.0]

31. “The gringo who financed the violent groups has been captured,” Maduro said

I have no idea what evidence you are looking for. Thats why he was arrested according to Maduro's own statement though. Then they just let him go without trial. So one may simply assume that they were trumped up charges to begin with

[zeemike]

34. He was not a citizen

He was a citizen of the most powerful country in the world...a country from which the oil fields of VZ was taken away from...now which would you do....deport him or put him on trial?...especially if you knew he was an agent for the CIA.
And one could assume that too...based on years of history.

[Bacchus4.0]

37. so?? Venezuela can prosectute non-citizens. Telesur TV, funded by the Ven government

carries programs on issues in the US such as the Occupy movement. It is a Venezuelan government funded "news" channel. Should the US arrest film crews them for spying?

[zeemike]

38. Well if they did they would be deported unless they committed some crime.

Like murder or rape...and even then if they were part of a diplomatic mission.

But the arrested no film crew...just this one guy...with no film crew claiming to be a film maker...if that is not a red flag then what is it?

But it is always astonishing to me that so many refuse to think critically about Chavez and the Bolivian revolution is SA....so many just accept what they are told...no questions asked...and even go beyond that and make up excuses for it.

[Bacchus4.0]

40. You are not getting it. Telesur is a Ven government funded network

who has and continues to do stories in the US including about social conflict, and the Occupy movement which on occassion resulted in violent clashes with authorities. Tracy was arrested and thrown in jail for interviewing opposition protesters. My point about Telesur is that they are obviously being paid by the Ven government so therefore should we arrest them as spies? We could try them as such in the US courts.

Just as Venezuela could have tried Tracy but since he wasn't a spy they have no evidence I suppose they just let him go although I am sure they want something in return.

[zeemike]

53. And you know that VZ has no evidence.

That he delivered money and or information to right wing resistance groups there how?

Did you get that evidence from them or did you get all of your info from MSM?

Now if VZ TV had delivered money to a left wing group planing a coup then yes you could arrest them and they would be deported.

But the truth is that neither of us know the truth, because we obviously don't get the whole picture from our MSM...not even close...but when alternative media broaches it there is ridicule and dismissed and we are all expected to fall in line in declaring it the way we are told to declare it...with us or against us.

I got tired of that long ago, now I don't give a shit if you think I am crazy I will doubt things that are told because they have proven themselves capable of lying...and they have motive.

[zeemike]

4. Name those other films

And if you read the link I gave you you will see that they investigated it and could not link him with a single film...and the ones that were claimed were by someone else...

And why they let him go is because he WAS a spy and you always return the spies or suffer for it...they cannot afford to play hi stakes poker like the USSR did with us.
And don't tell me the CIA does not do shit like that...

[naaman fletcher]

5. Returning spies...

So why hasn't Cuba returned Allen Gross?

In any event, he may perfectly well be a spy, but to state categorically that he was is just as wrong to state categorically that he was not. There is zero positive evidence that he was a spy, just as there is zero proof he was not. He may have been a spy, and he may have been a dope.

Personally I tend to doubt the CIA would send a guy who doesn't even speak spanish to do a job in VZLA.

[zeemike]

10. Because we signed a pact with Russia

Over the Cuban missile crisis that gave Cuba protection...

Not so with South America....we have been interfering with their countries right along.

And what you say is true...we don't know...and have no evidence.
But they do or at least say they do...and we can't find out what that is cause no one can look...and so we just say there is no evidence...

But no, I think the best spy is the one you would least expect...like a gringo making a film or hiking....and you really don't need to speak the language if you have contacts that do.

[OKNancy]

6. IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2005591/

[Psephos]

39. Actual evidence of his background and production experience. How inconvenient.

Glad you posted that link.

[geek tragedy]

12. What a pathetic argument. Lots of indy filmmakers act as their own camera crew. nt

[zeemike]

15. And a lot of CIA operatives act as filmmakers too

What a pathetic argument it is to say we would never do such a thing...like history has been erased or something.

[geek tragedy]

16. You're the one accepting as the gospel truth something the government says.

Not sure why you think Venezuela's government is beyond reproach, but you refuse to engage in any skepticism towards their claims.

[zeemike]

21. Just as you refuse to engage in any scepticism of our claims.

And we know from past experiences that no amount of evidence will cause you to believe otherwise...all evidence for it is impeached by attacking the source....so anything Venezuela say is impeached....well because they are a communist dictatorship and Hugo was a monster....right?

[geek tragedy]

22. So, let me get this straight:

Eric Holder or his deputy sign off on search warrants re: journalists: Holder is a threat to democracy.

Maduro orders a filmmaker arrested and then expelled from the country: obviously the guy was a spy, we must have faith in Maduro

[zeemike]

24. I won't bite on the straw man.

It is not our country...he has no right to be there if they don't want him there...he is under THEIR law not ours...

And yes, I will take their word for it, because of the long bloody and tragic history of what we have done there and all over South America...

And so then I would not take the word of a person that had been convicted of many crimes that they are innocent this time...that is real scepticism bassed on past history, not the phony kind that pretends it never happened before.

[geek tragedy]

25. You will have to forgive those of us who treat Venezuela's government

as we treat every single other government on the planet, not as a divine source of wisdom.

[zeemike]

27. And you will have to forgive me if I treat your hyperbole

as the nonsense it is....treat it as a divine source of wisdom?...it don't get more hyperbolic than that.

And the notion that we treat them as we do others is really over the top...

[msanthrope]

42. Seriously? It sounds like Maduro got liquored up and saw 'Argo.' nt

[Judi Lynn]

46. Do you recommend getting "liquored up" as a method for enjoying movies more?

I thought it was just for studying!

[msanthrope]

47. Every poster in the DU Lounge can't be wrong! nt

[Judi Lynn]

48. The ones who insist he's an "innocent filmmaker" because he says so are not that "naive,"

if "naïve" is a word one would ever consider.

We all know better than that, clearly, or we shouldn't be left to our own devices, we could be dangerous to ourselves or others.

From your article, a good reminder, from so many available:

It is worth recalling how the CIA, as a result of the November 4, 1979 assault on the U. S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian Revolution militants, manages to allow six diplomats to escape, when they hid in the residence of Canadian Ambassador Kenneth D. Taylor, who passed them off a filmmakers.

The CIA operative responsible for helping spirit out the six gringos hiding in the Canadian Embassy met with the fugitives, giving them Canadian passports and information on their false identities to allow them to fool Iranian airport security controls.

Filmmaker or not, consultant or not, the U.S. detainee was involved in the coup attempt and destabilization of groups on Venezuela's extreme right. He rubbed shoulders very closely with them. He knew about the media circus and plans of the right. Furthermore, he was alone without a film crew, which would have been the norm.

It's just sad when right-wingers claim it must be trumped up since there is no evidence in the covert operation. That's the way this government has been operating from the beginning of multilevel intervention in other countries so long ago.

Even people posing as "missionaries" have been used. So damned sad.

[zeemike]

50. Yep it is sad.

And maybe it is not just naivety because they seem to fall for it every time...ether that or it is not against any moral code that they posses to do such things

But it does serve to keep this intervention in poor countries going, and I suspect there is billions to be made, and that will decide if it is moral or not.

[Bacchus4.0]

52. Venezuela presented no evidence he was a spy, he was arrested on a whim

He had a camera and was interviewing protesters. And you just made this up of course, "He knew about the media circus and plans of the right."

[Judi Lynn]

54. Arrested on a whim? Is that right? What "evidence" do you have for that?

To whom does Venezuela present the evidence, you? Reince Priebus? Mitch McConnell?

Who is more important in deciding what evidence they need? The head of the Tea Party?

[OKNancy]

7. I found him easily using IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2005591/

On IMDB they also list news stories about him. It's the same fellow.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2005591/news

[zeemike]

13. Well on the two I looked up

He is one of several "co producers". what ever that means...but those films were made by others and probably WITH a crew.

So where was his film crew?...

Sorry but I am sceptical when it comes to what goes on in South America....we have a very long and dirty history down there and a CIA that has many resources to cause trouble when they want.

[OKNancy]

14. you can be skeptical, but in this case

I think he is what he says he is. Afterall, they did release him.

[Judi Lynn]

49. The expelled him, actually. n/t

[Recursion]

32. Got it. If the Venezuelan government locks him up, he's EVIL!!!!

And you wonder why people get nervous about VZ supporters...

[zeemike]

33. What is the difference between that and

If the State Department says Vz is a dictatorship then it must be true?

And no I don't wonder why...not at all...this shit is not new...been going on sense before I was born...Just look up General Smedley Butler if you care to.
And any VZ supporters must be marginalized and made to look like wild eyed conspiratory theorist...just so you will be nervous about them.
It is all part of the manipulative game of public opinion.

[OKNancy]

8. More

Variety Magazine is the entertainment world's bible. They publish a story about a film-maker, then he is a filmmaker.

http://variety.com/2013/film/news/u-s-helmer-jailed-in-venezuela-moved-to-notorious-prison-1200490807/

Additionally in the comments section someone who knows him talks about how he worked with him.
http://variety.com/2013/film/news/u-s-helmer-jailed-in-venezuela-moved-to-notorious-prison-1200490807/#respond

[Bonx]

35. If he has no crew or previous film history he is a spy...

This just proves he is a well disciplined spy.

/end sarcasm

[Ash_F]

36. He's just some low-level dudebro producer.

Look at his imdb. He's not a spy.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2005591/

I'm sure the Venezuelans did the right thing when they realized that and let him go instead of doubling down on the persecution and locking him up for 10 years for no reason(i.e. Guantanamo).

[Judi Lynn]

41. The filmmaker's family was clever: they got Democratic former Congressman William Delehunt to help,

as they found out he was involved, along with Joseph F. Kennedy II in arranging deeply discounted Venezuelan heating oil to Massachusetts limited income constituents since 2005!


Jailed US filmmaker freed in Venezuela, expelled
Associated Press
Posted on June 5, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Updated today at 1:05 PM

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A U.S. filmmaker jailed for alleged espionage in Venezuela was expelled from the country and returning to the United States on Wednesday in a gesture that could signal a thaw in tense relations between the two countries.

Timothy Tracy's release was secured with the help of former U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, who has long worked to improve often strained U.S.-Venezuelan ties and was hired by Tracy's family as an attorney in the case.

"He's been informally advising us since pretty much the onset and we retained him last week," Tracy's sister, Tiffany Klaasen, said of Delahunt, a member of the U.S. delegation at the March funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Both she and Delahunt also credited the U.S. State Department.

Tracy's expulsion came just as Secretary of State John Kerry was to meet with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua on the sidelines of a regional summit in Guatemala to discuss strained relations between the two countries, which have been without ambassadors since 2010.

Delahunt acknowledged the coincidence of Tracy's release but said "no conditions" were set by Kerry for the meeting with Jaua.

He said he had intervened on Tracy's behalf with officials in Venezuela — who he said did not include President Nicolas Maduro — but "I want to keep those discussions private."

"On both sides there is a desire to have an improvement in the relationship based upon respect, and that's what's important," Delahunt said, suggesting it might help that Kerry, then a Massachusetts senator, met Maduro a decade ago when Delahunt took a delegation of Venezuelans including Maduro on a trip to his district in Cape Cod.

More:
http://www.khou.com/news/world/210225701.html

[center]~ ~ ~ ~ ~





William Delahunt, Joseph F. Kennedy II, Jr. formally accept Venezuelan winter heating oil,
from CITGO representative, Felix Rodriguez, initiating a needed assistance program for constituents. [/center]

Venezuela-CITGO Assists Massachusetts with Heating Oil; Plans for Targeted Programs in Other U.S. Cities

Boston, MA – As promised by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, CITGO joined today with the U.S. Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation such as U.S. Representatives Bill Delahunt and Joseph P. Kennedy II, local energy companies and low-income communities to launch the first of what will be a targeted program of heating oil assistance in Boston, New York and possibly other U.S. cities.

This humanitarian aid will serve over 40,000 low-income households in the state of Massachusetts as well as several hundred institutions such as hospitals, day care centers, homeless shelters and schools.

“CITGO is not just another oil company. With Venezuela’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), of which we are a subsidiary, we share a broad social mission,” said CITGO C.E.O Felix Rodriguez. “We are thankful to have found a partner in Massachusetts Representative Bill Delahunt, who helped build the arrangement with Citizens Energy Corporation and the MassEnergy Consumers Alliance that made this project a reality.”

This humanitarian program by Venezuela and Venezuelan-owned CITGO is a response to the emergency caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which has resulted in fuel shortages and high prices. This humanitarian aid will provide 12 million gallons of heavily discounted heating oil for distribution to low-income communities across the state. Consumers will save between 60-80 cents/gallon, for a total savings of $10-14 million this winter. Venezuela supplies virtually all of the oil used for heating in the United States.

The official launch took place at the home of Linda and Paul Kelly, who qualify as recipients of the program and will be served by Citizens Energy Corporation. Rep. Delahunt, who is the leading Democrat on the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Rep. Edward Markey, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, helped deliver the first load of fuel oil to the Kellys.

More:
http://www.embavenez-us.org/news.php?nid=2093

[center] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~[/center]
Venezuela to expand cut-rate home heating oil to U.S.

By Andrew Miga
Associated Press

WASHINGTON --Venezuela will expand its discounted oil program for poor New Englanders next winter under a politically sensitive new deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., and former Massachusetts congressman Joseph Kennedy. The flow of additional cut-rate oil to the Northeast and other states would be a boon to low-income families as energy prices continue to soar.

"It will be a considerable expansion," said Delahunt, of Quincy, on Tuesday. He helped to broker the original deal with Venezuela to bring cut-rate oil to needy Americans this past winter. Chavez also agreed to steer aid towards redeveloping poor U.S. neighborhoods and similar projects as part of a new social fund, Delahunt added, but the Venezuelan leader did not elaborate. Houston-based Citgo Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, had discount heating oil programs last winter in Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware and the Philadelphia area. Citgo last winter provided nearly 40 million gallons of discounted oil for some 181,000 households and hundreds of homeless shelters, according to the company.

But the new arrangement is also likely to stoke controversy since Chavez is one of President Bush's harshest critics. Relations between the two nations are tense. Some Republicans have complained the oil program is more about scoring political points than charity for Chavez. "A hidden agenda? You people know we don't have one," Chavez said Monday in Venezuela. The Democratic congressman also dismissed such criticisms. "Let's not continue to indulge in sandbox diplomacy," Delahunt said. "Let's try to tamp down the rhetoric."

Chavez agreed to make more cheaper oil available during a two-hour meeting on Monday in Venezuela, Delahunt said, but no details were provided on how much. "He committed to an expansion both in terms of the gallons as well as the geographic," said Delahunt of Chavez. "I'm looking at the news and there is $3.50 per gallon gas. Now is the time to do it." U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., also participated in the session with Chavez, said Delahunt. Kennedy heads the Boston-based nonprofit Citizens Energy Corp., which helped deliver the oil in seven of the eight states the program served. "This is a moment for other oil companies to emulate what Citgo is doing," Delahunt said. "You can just imagine what their profits will look like at the end of this quarter. Now is the time for Big Oil to stand up and do it."

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_262.cfm
Venezuela donates more heating oil to U.S. poor
Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:46 PM ET

[center] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~[/center]
By Jason Szep
WINDHAM, Maine, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Venezuela expanded a controversial program on Thursday of subsidizing costly home-heating oil for the U.S. poor with a pact in Maine, upping the ante in a political brawl with President George W. Bush.

The donations deepen an ongoing spat between oil-rich Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bush, who calls Chavez a threat to democracy in Latin America. Socialist Chavez says Bush is trying to undermine his political support.

Venezuela, where per capita income is about 1/10th that of the United States, donated 8 million gallons (36 million litres) of heating oil at a 40 percent discount to Maine, the third northeastern U.S. state to receive what Venezuela calls its "humanitarian aid."

"This helps Chavez portray America as fundamentally weak," said Bruce Everett, a former executive with the Exxon Mobil Corp who teaches petroleum economics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

More:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/355895/venezuela_donates_more_heating_oil_to_us_poor/

[msanthrope]

43. If Bill Delahunt vouched for this kid, then he's no spy. nt

[Bacchus4.0]

45. He's no spy. n/t

s

[Dreamer Tatum]

44. The truth doesn't require guile.

And 1000-word posts with circular links don't intimidate many people.

[zeemike]

51. Does that mean that guile is not truth?

Just asking, because it seems that would mean that only simple things stated in simple ways can be true.