Venezuelan opponents who took refuge in The Argentine Embassy in Caracas In March 2024, to escape the persecution of the Nicolás Maduro regime, they left the diplomatic headquarters and Venezuela in recent days. The government of Donald Trump announced that “After a precise operationall hostages They are now safe in American territory”.
The person in charge of making the announcement was Marco RubioTrump Secretary of State. “The United States celebrates the successful rescue Of all the hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, ”he published in the Social Network X.
“After a precise operation, all hostages are now safe in US territory. Maduro’s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuelan institutions, violated human rights and put our regional security in danger, ”added the White House official.
“We extend our gratitude to all the personnel involved in this operation and our partners who helped ensure the safe liberation of these Venezuelan heroes,” Rubio completed.
The news was taking shape during the afternoon through growing versions, then confirmed by the owner of the newspaper The nationalMiguel Otero, through the social network X. From the Argentine Foreign Ministry declined to comment.
Los employees of María Corina Machado, who were careful in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, accused by the Maduro Government of Crimes as conspiracy and betrayal of the country, They crossed more than 400 days of the siege Chavista.
Magalli Medaright hand of the opposition leader; Pedro UrruchurtuInternational Coordinator of Vente Venezuela (VV), a party headed by Machado; The former deputy Omar Gonzalez and the electoral expert Humberto Villalobos endured for more than 13 months the constant harassment of police forcesthat not only cut the supplies of light and water, but also arbitrarily granting food and medicine inputs.
Originally there were six leaders Those who sought refuge. But, in December 2024, Martínez Mottola He left the embassy with his very deteriorated health and two months later he died in Caracas. Although the information, as a precaution, had not been officially confirmed, Claudia MacroVV communication manager, he would have managed to escape the embassy weeks ago.
“An impeccable and epic operation for the freedom of five heroes of Venezuela. My infinite recognition and thanks to all who made it possible. We are going to free each of our 900 imprisoned heroes for this tyranny and 30 million Venezuelans! ”Machado celebrated, in response to Marco Rubio’s message.” And with freedom, the irreversible change will come to a Venezuela of prosperity, justice and peace! ”, He completed.
In the midst of the silence of the Government of Caracas and the democratic opposition, at nightfall it was considered that Meda, Urruchurtu, González and Villalobos would have finally obtained the necessary salvoconducts To get out of Venezuela. But opposition sources did not rule out that it was an “extraction operation”, as the White House finally ended.
Consulted by The nationseveral sources from the Argentine Foreign Ministry avoided ruling on the information. From the arrival to power of Javier Mileithe Argentine government maintained several crosses with the Chavista dictatorship, which included verbal attacks among the leaders and referents of both governments.
The six leaders took refuge at the end of March 2024 at the Argentine Embassy to flee from the Chavista persecution, when the presidential campaign had not even started. Several of them had to take refuge months before in the diplomatic legation of the Netherlands, but thanks to the agreements between Washington and Caracas they regained freedom for a few weeks.
During their months of imprisonment, refugees were the target of total and permanent harassment, which included the Blocking food, medicine and water and a fence of security agents that threatened to break into the embassy.
In dialogue with La Nacion, Meda had deepened about the conditions in which they lived. There it mentioned that there were more than 100 days without electrical service, that the water reached them to droplets every 15 days and that they lived with the tortuous siege that included Screams, threats and armed hooded men.
In addition, food and medicine revenues were arbitrary. “We have to resist until this nightmare ends,” he said. The living conditions of refugees had worsened greatly in recent months.
The diplomatic headquarters was under monitoring of Brazil, after the Argentine delegation was expelled by Maduro last July.
In December 2024, the Argentine government had denounced the “siege” to the embassy before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The decision arose after several renewed complaints of the Venezuelan opposition to which national administration management sought to respond, together with other international demands.
The manager had been the Argentine ambassador to the Netherlands and representative before the ICC, Mario Oyarzábal, who at that time emphasized the “arbitrary arrests” and The “inhuman treatment” that required rigorous investigations.
“It is imperative that the inviolability of our diplomatic headquarters be respected, and that they are urgently granted Salvoconducts necessary to guarantee a safe exit, ”he had stated.
During the time that the isolation lasted, María Corina Machado manifested repeatedly about the refugees. The leader, to whom the opponents respond, had asked for a reaction from the diplomatic community at the end of February before the “Torture, pure and hard” of refugees.
“Here all international agreements are violated in view of the world. And the democratic world has to act together with those who fight tirelessly for our democracy, until freedom achieved,” he had claimed.
At that time, 27 Ibero -American presidents, including Mauricio Macri, had asked Brazil, the Vatican and the Red Cross to act before the siege. There was also a global protest in more than 150 cities in the world to demand that the CPI “act now” before “the crimes against Maduro.”
With the collaboration of Daniel Lozano
