View source for SAIME

{{Infobox Government agency
|agency_name     = Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Foreigners
|type            = Government agency
|logo            =
|image= ONIDEX Caracas.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|image_caption = ONIDEX Caracas
|logo_width      = 200px
|logo_caption    =
|formed          = {{start date and age|1941|12|31}} as the '''Central Identification Office'''
|date1           = 
|date1_name      =
|date2           =
|date2_name      =
|preceding1      = National Office of Identification and Foreigners (ONIDEX)
|preceding2      =
|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|jurisdiction    = National
|headquarters    = [[Caracas]], [[Capital District (Venezuela)|Distrito Capital]]
|employees       = 
|chief1_name     = Gustavo Vizcaino
|chief1_position = Director
|parent_agency   = [[Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace]]
|child1_agency   =
|child2_agency   =
|website         = http://www.saime.gob.ve/ {{in lang|es}}
|footnotes       =
}}

'''SAIME''' (formerly ONIDEX) is a [[Venezuela]]n government institution, traditionally in charge of [[Civil registry]] services.  The name derives from the Spanish acronym for '''S'''ervicio '''A'''dministrativo de '''I'''dentificación, '''M'''igración y '''E'''xtranjería (Administrative Service of Identification, Migration and Foreigners). The function of this government office is to issue [[Venezuelan passport|passport]]s, [[identity card]]s for immigrants, and other legal nationality documents for Venezuelan citizens and residents. Currently, the director of the institution is {{ill|Gustavo Vizcaino|es}}.<ref name="2001.com.ve">{{cite web | url=http://www.2001.com.ve/en-la-agenda/128012/juan-carlos-dugarte-es-designado-nuevamente-como-director-del-saime-.html | title=Juan Carlos Dugarte es designado nuevamente como Director del Saime | work=[[2001.com.ve]] | date=July 4, 2016 | accessdate=February 15, 2017 | author=Granados, Kelly}}</ref>

== History ==
On 8 February 2017, a joint [[CNN]] and [[CNN en Español]] year-long investigation called "Passports in the Shadows" ({{langx|es|Pasaportes en la sombra}}) - based on the information provided by a [[whistleblower]] and subsequent investigations, reported that employees of the Venezuelan embassy in [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]] has been selling passports and visas to persons from Middle Eastern countries (specifically Syria, Palestine, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan) with dubious backgrounds for profits. The SAIME confirmed the sold passports' genuineness as each passport came with an assigned [[National identification number#Venezuela|national identification number]], although the names of the individuals were altered when checking against the national database. At least one individual's place of birth was also changed from [[Iraq]] to [[Venezuela]]. According to Misael López Soto, a former employee at the Venezuelan embassy in Iraq who was also a lawyer and [[CICPC]] officer, the Bolivarian government would sell authentic passports to individuals from the Middle East, with the Venezuelan passport able to access 130 countries throughout the world without a visa requirement. López provided CNN documents showing how his superiors attempted to cover up the sale of passports, which were being sold from $5,000 to $15,000 per passport. López Soto fled the Venezuelan embassy in Iraq in 2015 to meet with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] in Spain, with a Venezuelan official who assisted him to fly out of the country being killed the same day. The investigation also found that between 2008 and 2012, [[List of Governors of Aragua|Aragua Governor]] [[Tareck El Aissami]] ordered for hundreds of Middle Eastern individuals to obtain illegal passports, including members of [[Hezbollah]].<ref name="CNNpassport">{{Cite web |last1=Zamost |first1=Scott |last2=Griffin |first2=Drew |last3=Guerrero |first3=Kay |last4=Romo |first4=Rafael |date=8 February 2017 |title=Venezuela may have given passports to people with ties to terrorism |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/world/venezuela-passports-investigation/index.html |access-date=14 February 2017 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=24 November 2015 |title=Diplomático venezolano denunció la entrega de documentos a terroristas {{!}} Venezuela, Terrorismo, Hezbollah – América |url=http://www.infobae.com/2015/11/24/1772058-diplomatico-venezolano-denuncio-la-entrega-documentos-terroristas/ |access-date=8 February 2017 |work=[[Infobae]]}}</ref> 

The Venezuelan foreign minister, [[Delcy Rodríguez]], denied the government's involvement when questioned by the reporters during the [[Seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly]] and accused  the network of performing what she described as an "imperialistic media operation" against [[Venezuela]] for airing the investigation.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/world/venezuela-passports-investigation/ Venezuela may have given passports to people with ties to terrorism]</ref> On 14 February 2017, Venezuelan authorities ceased the broadcasting of [[CNN en Español]] two days after the Venezuelan president, [[Nicolás Maduro]], ordered CNN to "(get) well away from here".<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuelan-president-says-he-wants-cnn-out-of-country-just-days-after-report-on-passports-visas-being-sold-in-iraq/ Venezuelan president says he wants CNN out of country just days after report on passports, visas being sold in Iraq]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Venezuela bans CNN after report alleges Iraq passport fraud |work=BBC News |date=15 February 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38986809 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423181236/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38986809 |archive-date=2023-04-23 }}</ref> 

The government deemed the report "(A threat to) the peace and democratic stability of our Venezuelan people since they generate an environment of intolerance."<ref>{{cite web |author=Steve Almasy |date=16 February 2017 |title=CNN en Español kicked off air in Venezuela |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/15/americas/cnn-en-espanol-venezuela-off-air/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327123310/http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/15/americas/cnn-en-espanol-venezuela-off-air/index.html |archive-date=2017-03-27 |website=cnn.com}}</ref> Venezuelan [[National Commission of Telecommunications]] director Andrés Eloy Méndez accused [[CNN en Español]] of instigating religious, racial and political hatred, violence and other themes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Venezuela pulls CNN for "distorting truth" |url=http://www.trtworld.com/americas/venezuela-pulls-cnn-for-distorting-truth-298639 |access-date=2024-03-10 |archive-date=2017-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802042620/http://www.trtworld.com/americas/venezuela-pulls-cnn-for-distorting-truth-298639 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 February 2017 |title=CNN en Español kicked off air in Venezuela |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/15/americas/cnn-en-espanol-venezuela-off-air/}}</ref>

==References==
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==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.saime.gob.ve/ Servicio Administrativo de Identificación Migración y Extranjería (SAIME)] {{in lang|es}}

{{Border protection agencies}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Executive branch of the government of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Identity documents]]