The Argentine government informed that the five Venezuelan opponents who had been sheltered in the Argentine embassy in Caracas since March 2024 were transferred to US soil in a joint operation with support from the United States. This event occurs amid the detention of Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo by Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela, generating political and diplomatic tension between the two countries.
The stay of the Venezuelan opponents in the Argentine embassy was marked by constant siege, with restrictions on basic services, food, and medicine. The Argentine government had reported these conditions to the International Criminal Court last December. The beneficiaries of the operation are Magalli Meda, Pedro Urruchurtu, Omar González, Humberto Villalobos, and Claudia Macero, who are close to the opposition leader María Corina Machado.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio played a prominent role in the realization of this action, ensuring the safety and well-being of the opponents after their departure from the Argentine embassy. Uncertainty persists about whether this extraction is part of a broader negotiation that includes the release of gendarme Nahuel Gallo or if it will further complicate relations between the countries.
Despite marking a turning point in the humanitarian and political crisis at the embassy, this operation leaves open questions regarding diplomatic and security dynamics between Argentina, the United States, and the Venezuelan regime, as well as the future of Nahuel Gallo. Of the six original refugees, one passed away after leaving the premises due to health reasons. The news of the opponents' departure was initially confirmed by US officials.
