USA affirms that he rescued Venezuelan opponents who were refugees in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas for more than a year

The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said Tuesday that opponents to the government of Nicolás Maduro who were refugees in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas were “rescued” and are found on American soil.

The diplomatic headquarters housed for more than a year to five opponents, who were accused by the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office, related to Maduro, of crimes such as “conspiracy” and “betrayal of the homeland.”

The rescue occurs after months in which the opponents were besieged in different ways. In several moments, it was learned that they had run out of electricity and without water.

In September 2024, opponents denounced that the building dawned surrounded by “hooded and armed” men.

The opposition leader María Corina Machado described the operation as “impeccable and epic” and said: “We are going to free each of our 900 heroes imprisoned by this tyranny.”

Argentine President Javier Milei reacted to the news with a statement thanking the operation, which he described as “an important step in defense of freedom in the region.”

He added that he is working for the release of the Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo, arrested in Venezuela.

Pedro Urruchurtu, Humberto Villalobos, Claudia Macero, Omar González, Fernando Martínez Mottola and Magalli Meda, all opposition politicians, received political asylum at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas in March 2024.

In a statement released then, Argentina admitted to having welcomed them “with the support of the inviolability enshrined in the Vienna Convention, of which both nations, Argentina and Venezuela are significant.”

The situation was complicated in August, when the Maduro government revoked the authorization for Argentine diplomats to remain in Venezuelan territory.

Then, Brazil assumed the representation of Argentina in Venezuela and, therefore, the administration of the Embassy.

This, however, continued in the sight of senior Venezuelan officials.

The Venezuelan Chancellor, Yván Gil, said he has evidence that the facilities were being used to plan “terrorist activities” and “assassination attempts” against Maduro and his vice president Delcy Rodríguez.

The people who were refugees at the Embassy were part of the team that supported María Corina Machado and, then, Edmundo González Urrutia for the presidential elections of July 28, 2024.

Those elections gave as winner, according to electoral authorities related to the government, to Nicolás Maduro. But the opposition leader María Corina Machado and the then candidate Edmundo González presented a large number of minutes that showed that González had won with a wide advantage.

In December 2024, Fernando Martínez Mottola, one of the six refugees, left the embassy. He died two months later.

Therefore, there were five rescued in the operation confirmed on Tuesday.

In the message announced by the rescue of refugees, Rubio said it had been a “precise” operation and strongly criticized the Maduro government.

“Maduro’s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuelan institutions, violated human rights and put our regional security in danger,” he said.

“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,” he added.

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