FILE - A police patrol car sits parked outside Argentina’s embassy where some members of Venezuela’s opposition are seeking asylum inside, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after the contested presidential election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
Venezuelan opposition members leave Argentine diplomatic compound after over a year and are in US
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥 Five members of Venezuela鈥檚 political opposition left the Argentine diplomatic compound in their country鈥檚 capital, Caracas, where they had sheltered for more than a year to avoid arrest and were in the United States on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
FILE - A police patrol car sits parked outside Argentina’s embassy where some members of Venezuela’s opposition are seeking asylum inside, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after the contested presidential election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
By Regina Garcia Cano And Andry Rincon The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥 Five members of Venezuela鈥檚 political opposition left the Argentine diplomatic compound in their country鈥檚 capital, Caracas, where they had sheltered for more than a year to avoid arrest and were in the United States on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio did not provide details of the group鈥檚 movements to reach the U.S., but he described the event as a rescue operation.
The government of Venezuelan President Nicol谩s Maduro did not immediately comment on the situation.
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鈥淭he U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,鈥 Rubio said on X. 鈥淔ollowing a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil.鈥
The government of Argentine President Javier Milei allowed the five people into the ambassador鈥檚 residence in March 2024, when authorities loyal to Venezuela鈥檚 ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting acts of violence to destabilize the country. The group included the campaign manager and communications director of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Machado, also on X, thanked people involved in what she called an 鈥渋mpeccable and epic operation for the Freedom of five heroes of Venezuela.鈥
Since late November, the group had denounced the constant presence of intelligence service agents and police outside the residence. It had also accused the government of cutting electricity and water services to the compound. The government had denied the allegations.
A sixth person, Fernando Martinez, a cabinet minister in the 1990s, sheltered with the group for nine months. and, according to Venezuelan authorities, appeared before prosecutors. He passed away in February.
Maduro’s government routinely targeted its real or perceived opponents ahead of last year’s presidential election, and after the country鈥檚 National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared him the winner despite credible evidence to the contrary.
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The election results announced by the Electoral Council sparked protests across the country to which the government responded with force and ended with more than 20 people dead. They also prompted an end to diplomatic relations between Venezuela and various foreign countries, including Argentina.
In August, Argentina鈥檚 request to guard the diplomatic compound in Caracas after Maduro鈥檚 government expelled its diplomats when Milei said that he would not recognize 鈥渁nother fraud.鈥 But a month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil鈥檚 authorization to guard the facility, alleging it had evidence of the use of the premises 鈥渇or the planning of terrorist activities and assassination attempts.鈥
Brazil and Argentina have rejected those accusations.
Milei said in a statement on Tuesday that the operation 鈥渞epresents an important step in defending freedom in the region.鈥
