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Five Venezuelan political figures are locked up at the Argentinian embassy in Caracas to prevent arrest, were brought to the US after a “successful rescue” mission, said Foreign Minister Marco Rubio.
“The US welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian embassy in Caracas,” Rubio wrote in a message about X. “After a precise operation, all hostages are now safe on American soil.”
Venezuelan troops had surrounded the embassy since last year, where the five politicians who were against President Nicolás Maduro had sought refuge.
The opposition leader of Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, said she was grateful “for everyone who made it possible”.
Machado greeted their escape as “an impeccable and epic operation for the freedom of five heroes”.
They were given permission to stay there by the government of the Argentinian President Javier Milei, whose country is one of different people who disputed the results of the last elections of Venezuela in July that Maduro gave a third term.
The Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked Rubio and the US government “for the successful operation that secured the freedom of the Venezuelan asylum seekers at our embassy in Caracas”.
Last year the opposition figures placed images and videos of officers from the intelligence service of the country around the embassy complex and said they were under “siege”.
They also accused the Venezuelan government to cut electricity and water services to the compound.
The Venezuelan government said at the time that it was forced to take action after it had discovered so -called evidence of “terrorist activities and murder attempts” against Maduro and his deputy.
In November, the US called the safety activities outside the embassy a serious violation of international law.
“We demand that the Venezuelan regime respects its international obligations, end this intimidating actions and guarantees a safe passage for asylum seekers,” said the US embassy in Venezuela at the time.
Rubio did not confirm the names of those saved, but the five opposition members who had hunted the Argentinian embassy, are Magalli Meda, Pedro Urucurtu, Omar Gonzalez, Humberto Villalobos and Claudia Macero.
It is unclear how the five managed to leave the compound and what role the US played in their escape.
The embassy in which she was sheltered and guarded by Brazil, because the diplomatic relations between Argentina and Venezuela were demolished last summer due to the outcome of the Venezuela presidential election.
But in September the Venezuelan government withdrew custody of the embassy of Brazil in a clear attempt to remove its diplomatic protection.
