María Corina Machado, founder of Vente Venezuela, asked this Saturday, September 7, that “democratic” nations provide protection “to all” those Venezuelan activists who suffer “harassment and persecution in these hours”
The founder of Vente Venezuela (VV), María Corina Machado, spoke out on the afternoon of Saturday, September 7, regarding the siege that has been taking place since Friday night at the Argentine embassy in Caracas, currently under the custody of Brazil: she warned that the Government “intends” to violate the Vienna Conventions and asked the international community to “manage safe conduct” for the six political leaders who have been sheltered in the diplomatic compound since last March.
“Diplomatic asylum, as a principle and institution with a profound Latin American spirit, has served to protect those who are politically persecuted, and has been an essential pillar of the doctrine regarding the protection of human rights. Its convention, signed in Caracas, is very clear about its scope and implementation. Today, it is intended to be violated, precisely in this city,” Machado wrote in his account in X (formerly Twitter).
Later, Machado «warns» about «the consequences» that violations of these norms could have for Venezuela and the region. «We ask democratic nations to support us and provide the necessary support and protection for all those activists who are suffering harassment and persecution in these hours. Likewise, we ask them to make the pertinent arrangements to issue safe-conduct passes for our colleagues, as stipulated in international law,» she requested.
*Read also: What does the Vienna Convention say about diplomatic seats?
The siege of the embassy
Since Friday night, the residence of the Argentine Embassy in Caracas has been surrounded by officials from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) and the Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Actions (DAET).
Until midday on Saturday, September 7, those seeking asylum at the embassy were reporting, via X (formerly Twitter), that security agents were not allowing journalists to approach the diplomatic headquarters, and that they had closed “all access points” to the premises.
The Argentine embassy and residence in Caracas have been without gaucho representation since the diplomatic mission in Venezuela had to leave the country in August, by order of the Venezuelan government. Since then, Brazil had taken over the security of the building and the care of the six leaders of the Vente Venezuela party who have been sheltered there since March 20, 2024.
Venezuela “revokes” Brazil
On Saturday morning, September 7, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry published a statement indicating that it was immediately revoking the approval granted by Brazil to represent the interests of the Argentine Republic and its nationals in Venezuelan territory. The letter details that the measure is due to the fact that in “the facilities of this diplomatic mission” there was “planning of terrorist activities.”
Argentina condemned the decision “unilateral” decision by the Government of Nicolás Maduro to revoke permission for Brazil to guard its embassy in Caracas; and warned that “any attempt to kidnap the asylum seekers” in its official residence “will be harshly condemned” by the international community.
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