MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russian diplomats in Buenos Aires invoke immunity to skip breathalyzer tests

Unaware of the concept of “diplomatic immunity,” the Buenos Aires City Traffic Police threatened to embargo the vehicles if the drivers did not acquiesce to testing

The Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires filed a protest Wednesday before the Argentine Government of President Javier Milei after traffic police tried the test three members of the diplomatic mission for alcohol.

Ambassador Dmitry Feoktistov asked Argentina's Foreign Ministry to “take comprehensive measures to prevent the repetition of such incidents, which are actively used by opponents of the normal development of Russian-Argentine relations.” Local TV broadcast the situation live and it went viral on social networks.

The Embassy insisted the episode constituted a “violation” of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. On Dec. 24 and 25, Buenos Aires City Traffic Police threatened to seize the three vehicles in the vehicles if the diplomats driving them refused to submit to breathalyzer tests.

¿Cómo empieza la Navidad en tu país?

En el mío la Policía detiene a un auto diplomático de Rusia en un test de alcoholemia

El tipo se atrinchera y se niega a bajar

Aparece otro ruso buena onda que habla poco español, pero tiene la remera de Chicago y soluciona el tema pic.twitter.com/kdFpONxMjO

— Lᴜᴄᴀs Nᴏᴇʟ (@ExperienciaNoel) December 25, 2024

The Ambassador's note also highlighted that the incident had been widely reported on by local media. “It should be noted that what happened constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, according to which the receiving State is obliged to take all measures to prevent any attack on the person, freedom or dignity of all members of the diplomatic mission and to ensure freedom of movement and transit through its territory,” Feoktistov wrote. “The Mission's means of transport cannot be the object of any embargo,” he insisted.

A Russian bypasser regretted his countryman's attitude and tried to persuade him to take the test but to no avail. “It's a shame for my country,” he told reporters affter volunteering to act as a translator.