Venezuela group asks Dominican Republic to release 4 pilots

Santo Domingo.- A group of Venezuelan civilian pilots on Monday asked Dominican judicial authorities to release four of their colleagues being held in Santo Domingo, on charges of attempted theft, in connection with an alleged plot to fly a confiscated aircraft out of the country.

“The Community of Venezuelan Civil Aviation Pilots requests the release of our Venezuelan pilots arrested in Dominican Republic, they are not guilty,” the group said in an emailed statement to Dominican Today.

The organization also requests that Dominican journalist investigate the case with Dominican authorities on claims of human rights violations of the pilots identified as Armando Gutierrez, Jorge Yzghen, Victor Alvarez and Alexander Lira.

“Four Venezuelan pilots left to carry out their task according to all international regulations and deserve immediate freedom. #The Venezuelan pilots are innocent,” the organization said.

Bank fraud case

A Santo Domingo province court last wee sent the four pilots and two Dominican mechanics to three months of pretrial detention, indicted in the attempted theft of a plane in the international airport at Higuero, seized in the heels of the Peravia bank fraud case.