CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – 5 members of Venezuela’s political opposition left the Argentine diplomatic compound of their nation’s capital, Caracas, the place that they had sheltered for greater than a yr to keep away from arrest and had been in the US on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned.
Rubio didn’t present particulars of the group’s actions to succeed in the U.S., however he described the occasion as a rescue operation.
The federal government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro didn’t instantly touch upon the scenario.
“The U.S. welcomes the profitable rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime on the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio mentioned on X. “Following a exact operation, all hostages are actually safely on U.S. soil.”
The federal government of Argentine President Javier Milei allowed the 5 folks into the ambassador’s residence in March 2024, when authorities loyal to Venezuela’s ruling occasion issued warrants for his or her arrest, accusing them of selling acts of violence to destabilize the nation. The group included the marketing campaign supervisor and communications director of opposition chief Maria Corina Machado.
Machado, additionally on X, thanked folks concerned in what she referred to as an “impeccable and epic operation for the Freedom of 5 heroes of Venezuela.”
Since late November, the group had denounced the fixed presence of intelligence service brokers and police exterior the residence. It had additionally accused the federal government of reducing electrical energy and water companies to the compound. The federal government had denied the allegations.
A sixth particular person, Fernando Martinez, a cupboard minister within the Nineties, sheltered with the group for 9 months. Martinez deserted the compound in mid-December and, in keeping with Venezuelan authorities, appeared earlier than prosecutors. He handed away in February.
Maduro’s authorities routinely focused its actual or perceived opponents forward of final yr’s presidential election, and its crackdown on dissent solely elevated after the nation’s Nationwide Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared him the winner regardless of credible proof on the contrary.
The election outcomes introduced by the Electoral Council sparked protests throughout the nation to which the federal government responded with power and ended with greater than 20 folks useless. Additionally they prompted an finish to diplomatic relations between Venezuela and varied international international locations, together with Argentina.
In August, Brazil accepted Argentina’s request to protect the diplomatic compound in Caracas after Maduro’s authorities expelled its diplomats when Milei mentioned that he wouldn’t acknowledge “one other fraud.” However a month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization to protect the power, alleging it had proof of using the premises “for the planning of terrorist actions and assassination makes an attempt.”
Brazil and Argentina have rejected these accusations.
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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico Metropolis.
