Five Argentine diplomats are leaving Venezuela today on a TAP flight bound for Lisbon, from where they will depart on Saturday for Buenos Aires, via Madrid, following the closure of the Argentine Embassy in Caracas ordered by the Venezuelan President.
"Nicolás Maduro informed us on July 29 that he was expelling Argentine diplomats, giving us 72 hours from that date to leave Venezuelan territory without considering the reduction of flights. We will comply with the deadline of that order this Thursday," said Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino during a speech at the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), which met this Wednesday (31) in Washington to discuss electoral fraud in Venezuela.
Lusa confirmed with the Argentine diplomats responsible that the five and their relatives, a total of 14 people, will board a TAP flight at 3:20 pm from Caracas to Lisbon, from where they will depart on Saturday, the 3rd, for Buenos Aires with a stopover in Madrid.
The reason for the trip via Europe is the lack of flights and the fact that Venezuela has closed its airspace to flights to and from Argentina.
The five Argentine diplomats were unable to board the flight with the six Venezuelan political asylum seekers who have been in the Argentine embassy in Caracas since March 20, where they have sought refuge to escape persecution by the Chavista regime for being part of the campaign team of opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Over the past four months, Argentina has attempted to obtain a safe conduct permit to allow the asylum seekers to leave the country. The Nicolás Maduro regime has denied all requests to date. Without the safe conduct, the six Venezuelans could be arrested by the Chavista regime as soon as they set foot outside the Embassy.
Argentina continues to press for the safe conduct to take the asylum seekers to a third diplomatic representation in Caracas, possibly from one or more European countries, since, in addition to Argentina, Maduro has also expelled diplomats from six other Latin American countries: Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.
On Monday, the Maduro regime issued an ultimatum for all diplomats from these seven countries to leave the country within 72 hours. The governments of these countries were accused of "interference" and of "ignoring the election results".
In the case of Argentina, the ultimatum was limited to the diplomats only, without including the six Venezuelans for whom there is an arrest warrant.
"The permission to leave the country only applies to Argentine personnel, who will have all the guarantees for their immediate withdrawal from national territory, and has no connection with the presence of Venezuelan citizens who have been granted asylum in this diplomatic mission since March 20, 2024," clarified the formal note received by the Argentine Embassy in Caracas.
Speaking at an emergency session of the Organization of American States (OAS), Diana Mondino accused Venezuela on Wednesday of "non-compliance with the convention on diplomatic asylum," considering that it is "inconceivable that Maduro would prevent asylum seekers from leaving together with expelled Argentine diplomats, something provided for in the 1954 Caracas Convention, in article 19."
The organization met to analyze last Sunday's Venezuelan elections, in which Nicolás Maduro claimed victory, despite accusations of fraud by the opposition.
Since Monday, Argentina's diplomatic headquarters in Caracas has been the target of intimidation. A group of hooded officers from Venezuela's Department of Strategic and Tactical Actions (DAET) threatened to invade the residence.
The following day, the Venezuelan government cut off the electricity supply.
"The harassment has been continuous. The electricity has been cut off. Hooded people have intimidated. We have all seen the details. And I remind, not this room, but Mr. Maduro's regime, that it is the obligation of the host state to safeguard the facilities of the diplomatic mission against intrusions, damage and to preserve its tranquility and dignity," warned Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino during her speech at the OAS.
At the request of opposition figure María Corina Machado, activists formed a human cordon around the Argentine Embassy.
"Attention! Regime police forces are surrounding the Argentine embassy in Venezuela. (We) appeal to our neighbors to stop it. We alert the diplomatic corps in Venezuela," María Corina Machado posted with an alert that remains in effect until the asylum seekers find a final destination.
