Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan security forces have surrounded the Argentine embassy in Caracas, where six opposition figures have sought refuge. The embassy, which has been under the protection of Brazil since diplomatic relations between Argentina and Venezuela broke down, is now at the center of a tense standoff.
The opposition figures, who are critical of President Nicolás Maduro, posted images and videos on social media showing officers from the Venezuelan intelligence service forming a perimeter around the embassy complex. They described the situation as a “siege” and reported that the embassy had been without electricity since Friday evening.
Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli, an adviser to opposition leader María Corina Machado, and Omar González Moreno, a former deputy, are among those taking refuge. They have expressed concerns about their safety, citing an increasing presence of hooded officials and the closure of vehicular traffic around the embassy.
The Venezuelan government claims it took action after uncovering evidence of the embassy being used for planning terrorist activities and assassination attempts against President Maduro and his deputy1. However, the Argentine foreign ministry has condemned any attempt to interfere with or kidnap the asylum seekers, emphasizing the inviolability of the diplomatic mission1.
Brazil, which has been representing Argentine interests in Venezuela, stated it would continue to do so until another government is selected to fulfill the role. The situation remains tense as the international community watches closely12.
1: BBC 2: Yahoo News