Diego Arria
Encyclopedia
Diego Arria Salicetti is a Venezuela
n politician, diplomat, former Venezuelan Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations
(1991–1993) and President of the Security Council (March 1992). He was Governor of the Federal District
of Caracas in the mid-1970s. Other positions have included Diplomatic Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
and Visiting Scholar at Columbia University
. He was said to be one of the "twelve apostles
" (a group of powerful men close to the Presidency) of Carlos Andrés Pérez
' first presidency.
, and worked for the Inter-American Development Bank
in Washington, D.C.
until he returned to Venezuela in 1969, initially as Director of Tourism in Rafael Caldera
's Ministry of Development, and later as president of the CONAHOTU (National Corporation of Hotels and Tourism).
(CAP) in 1973. Shortly after CAP was elected in March 1974, he appointed Arria Governor of the Federal District
(Caracas
), at a time when this was one of the most important presidential appointments. In 1976 when he was Governor of the Federal District he went to Chile
and asked President Pinochet to release his friend Orlando Letelier
; which Pinochet did, but soon after this Letelier was murdered with a car bomb in Washington D.C by Pinochet's order. He subsequently moved from the governorship to become Minister of Information and Tourism in February 1977. He resigned on 17 March 1978, in order to stand as an independent candidate in the Venezuelan presidential election, 1978
; he came fourth with 1.7% of the votes. As part of his campaign Arria initiated the launch of the daily newspaper El Diario de Caracas
.
from 1991 to 1993, and was President of the Security Council (March 1992), during Venezuela's membership of the Security Council. Arria later became Special Advisor to Kofi Annan
, Secretary General of the UN, He initiated the eponymous 'Arria formula' a very informal consultation process which affords members of the Security Council the opportunity to hear persons in a confidential, informal setting. These meetings are presided over by a member of the Council as service facilitator for the discussion and not by the President of the Council. He was chairman during the massacres at Srebrenica
. After visiting the enclave he warned of its impending doom and predicted the masacres saying it was "slow motion Genocide" and the besieged enclave itself as "a concentration camp policed by UNPROFOR".
"declared that lawyers and historians working for the National Lands Institute (INTI) ha[d] not been able to find continuity of ownership deeds in the national register and therefore the lands are "fallow" and return to the State". According to government officials the ranch was unproductive and was a case of idle lands; according to Arria, the farm had 300 cattle and 90% of it was under some form of agricultural development. When becoming aware of the expropriation threat Dr. Arria took photos of the farm and the cattle and posted them on the Internet, including the one used to illustrate this paragraph. Correo del Orinoco
, a state-owned newspaper, reporting their claims that Arria's declarations about expropriation and loot by the Ministry of Agriculture are "subversive and tend to urge the homicide of Hugo Chavez
". According to Arria, the expropriation was a reaction to Arria's participation in the Oslo Freedom Forum
, where he stated that Chavez will have to face International Justice one day for his "crimes" against the Venezuelan people.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n politician, diplomat, former Venezuelan Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(1991–1993) and President of the Security Council (March 1992). He was Governor of the Federal District
Venezuelan Capital District
The Capital District of Venezuela is a federal district corresponding to the capital Caracas. It has an area of 433 km² and there is only one administrative division , Libertador, which contains about half City of Caracas. It is the seat of the federal government and the head of the public...
of Caracas in the mid-1970s. Other positions have included Diplomatic Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and Visiting Scholar at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He was said to be one of the "twelve apostles
Twelve Apostles (Venezuela)
The "Twelve Apostles" were a group of Venezuelan businessmen close to President Carlos Andrés Pérez. The term was coined by Duno and became part of the Venezuelan political language. The group included Diego Arria and Pedro Tinoco and Carmelo Lauria...
" (a group of powerful men close to the Presidency) of Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
' first presidency.
Background
Arria studied at the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and worked for the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
until he returned to Venezuela in 1969, initially as Director of Tourism in Rafael Caldera
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party...
's Ministry of Development, and later as president of the CONAHOTU (National Corporation of Hotels and Tourism).
Political career
Arria resigned as head of CONAHOTU in order to support the presidential candidacy of Carlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
(CAP) in 1973. Shortly after CAP was elected in March 1974, he appointed Arria Governor of the Federal District
Venezuelan Capital District
The Capital District of Venezuela is a federal district corresponding to the capital Caracas. It has an area of 433 km² and there is only one administrative division , Libertador, which contains about half City of Caracas. It is the seat of the federal government and the head of the public...
(Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
), at a time when this was one of the most important presidential appointments. In 1976 when he was Governor of the Federal District he went to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and asked President Pinochet to release his friend Orlando Letelier
Orlando Letelier
Marcos Orlando Letelier del Solar was a Chilean economist, Socialist politician and diplomat during the presidency of Socialist President Salvador Allende...
; which Pinochet did, but soon after this Letelier was murdered with a car bomb in Washington D.C by Pinochet's order. He subsequently moved from the governorship to become Minister of Information and Tourism in February 1977. He resigned on 17 March 1978, in order to stand as an independent candidate in the Venezuelan presidential election, 1978
Venezuelan presidential election, 1978
General elections were held in Venezuela on 3 December 1978. The presidential elections were won by Luis Herrera Campins of Copei, who received 46.6% of the vote. Although Copei received more votes, Democratic Action won the most seats in the Chamber of Deputies, whilst the two parties won 21 seats...
; he came fourth with 1.7% of the votes. As part of his campaign Arria initiated the launch of the daily newspaper El Diario de Caracas
El Diario de Caracas
El Diario de Caracas was a newspaper published in Caracas, Venezuela. It was co-founded in 1979 by Diego Arria and the writer Tomas Eloy Martinez, an Argentine exile. Another Argentine exile, Rodolfo Terragno, was at one time its editor-in-chief....
.
United Nations
Arria was Venezuelan Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
from 1991 to 1993, and was President of the Security Council (March 1992), during Venezuela's membership of the Security Council. Arria later became Special Advisor to Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, Secretary General of the UN, He initiated the eponymous 'Arria formula' a very informal consultation process which affords members of the Security Council the opportunity to hear persons in a confidential, informal setting. These meetings are presided over by a member of the Council as service facilitator for the discussion and not by the President of the Council. He was chairman during the massacres at Srebrenica
Srebrenica
Srebrenica is a town and municipality in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. Srebrenica is a small mountain town, its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War, the town was the site of the July 1995 massacre,...
. After visiting the enclave he warned of its impending doom and predicted the masacres saying it was "slow motion Genocide" and the besieged enclave itself as "a concentration camp policed by UNPROFOR".
Ranch expropriation
On April 30, 2010, Arria's ranch "La Carolina" in Yaracuy State was taken over by the Venezuelan government. Minister of Agriculture Elias JauaElías Jaua
-External links: "", World Investment News, 11 September 2006...
"declared that lawyers and historians working for the National Lands Institute (INTI) ha[d] not been able to find continuity of ownership deeds in the national register and therefore the lands are "fallow" and return to the State". According to government officials the ranch was unproductive and was a case of idle lands; according to Arria, the farm had 300 cattle and 90% of it was under some form of agricultural development. When becoming aware of the expropriation threat Dr. Arria took photos of the farm and the cattle and posted them on the Internet, including the one used to illustrate this paragraph. Correo del Orinoco
Correo del Orinoco (2009)
Correo del Orinoco is a Venezuelan government backed progressive newspaper launched in 2009 , named for Simón Bolívar's original Correo del Orinoco . It is associated with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela; Vanessa Davies is the editor.It launched an English-language edition in 2010; Eva...
, a state-owned newspaper, reporting their claims that Arria's declarations about expropriation and loot by the Ministry of Agriculture are "subversive and tend to urge the homicide of Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
". According to Arria, the expropriation was a reaction to Arria's participation in the Oslo Freedom Forum
Oslo Freedom Forum
Oslo Freedom Forum is a conference about human rights first held in May 2009 in Oslo, Norway. Founded by the Human Rights Foundation. According to Thor Halvorssen , "the Oslo Freedom Forum is an intimate gathering where leaders who are transforming the world present effective solutions and...
, where he stated that Chavez will have to face International Justice one day for his "crimes" against the Venezuelan people.