Maduro withdraws custody of Argentine embassy from Brazil

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, left) has disavowed Brazil’s custody of the Argentine embassy in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

In a note sent to Poder360 this Saturday (7.Sep.2024), Itamaraty confirmed that it was notified about the measure. However, it said that the country “will continue to represent Argentina’s interests in Venezuela until a replacement is appointed”.

Brazil took over representation at the Argentine diplomatic headquarters on August 1 after the Venezuelan government ordered the expulsion of the country’s diplomatic corps led by Javier Milei (La Libertad Avanza, right) and 6 other Latin American nations.

The measure was taken because the governments contested the legitimacy of Maduro’s reelection in the July 28 elections. The Argentine diplomatic corps and military left Venezuela in response to the notification sent.

Brazil’s role in the Argentine embassy is mainly to guard the facilities and archives. The country has also become responsible for ensuring the protection of six members of the opposition to the Chavista regime, who are sheltered in the embassy in Caracas.

On Friday night (September 6), 3 asylum seekers reported in posts on social media that the Venezuelan police, who respond to the Maduro regime, once again surrounded the diplomatic headquarters.

They are the international coordinator of the Vente Venezuela party, Pedro Urruchurtu, the campaign manager for the presidential election, Magalli Meda, and former deputy Omar González.

This Saturday (7.set), Meda stated that the power to the embassy was cut and that security forces remain on site.

In a publication on X, the PUD (Democratic Unitary Platform), the center-right coalition of Maduro’s main opponent in the July 28 elections, Edmundo González Urrutia, condemned the siege.

“There are members of the ConVzla Command who were persecuted by Nicolás Maduro. We demand an immediate end to this persecution and respect for the international treaties to which Venezuela is a signatory. Engaging in politics is not a crime!”he stated.

ConVzla is the National Campaign Command of the political group led by María Corina Machado.

The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the suspension of X in Brazil. However, Brazilians who are abroad continue to have normal access to the platform. This is how the Poder360 read the messages posted on the profile and responds to them in this text, as they are of public interest and have journalistic relevance.

ARGENTINA ASKS FOR ARREST

Before reports of the siege, the Argentine Foreign Ministry he requestedon Friday (6.Sep), that the ICC (International Criminal Court) would issue an arrest warrant against Maduro and other leaders of the Chavista regime.

The country cites the “worsening of the situation” in Venezuela after the elections and “the commission of new acts that may be considered crimes against humanity” as reasons.

“As stated in the note from the Argentine government to be presented to the prosecutor’s office [do TPI] next monday [9.set]the evidence gathered in the course of the investigations carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court (“Situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela I”) and the events that occurred after the presidential elections of 28 July are sufficient elements to consider the merits of issuing the aforementioned arrest warrants”said in statement.

On August 12, court prosecutor Karim Khan said he is “actively monitoring” the repression against the opposition and Venezuelan citizens after the elections held on July 28. He also said he is in contact with the Maduro government “at the highest level to emphasize the importance of ensuring that the rule of law is respected at the current time”.

The ICC is already investigating the Venezuelan government for alleged crimes against humanity committed by Venezuelan security forces against protesters at anti-government protests in 2017. In the case, Maduro could be charged with allegedly persecuting, repressing and torturing protesters. So far, no arrest warrant has been issued.

VENEZUELA UNDER MADURO

Venezuela lives under an autocracy led by Nicholas Mature61 years old. There is no freedom of the press. People can be arrested for “political crimes”. OAS published notice in May 2021 (PDF – 179 kB) regarding the “illegitimate appointment” of the National Electoral Council. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported abuses in October 2022 (PDF – 150 kB), November 2022 (PDF – 161 kB) and March 2023 (PDF – 151 kB). Report from Human Rights Watch disclosed in 2023 (PDF – 5 MB) states that 7.1 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014.

Maduro denies that the country is under a dictatorship. He says that there are regular elections and that the opposition simply cannot win.

The presidential elections carried out on July 28, 2024 are contested by part of the international community. The main opposition leader, Maria Corina, was prevented in June 2023 to hold public office for 15 years. The Venezuelan Supreme confirmed the decision in January 2024. He claimed “administrative irregularities” that were allegedly committed when she was a deputy, from 2011 to 2014, and by “corruption plot” for supporting Juan Guaidó.

Corina indicated the ally Corina Yoris to compete. However, Yoris was unable to formalize the application because of an alleged failure in the electoral system. The diplomat Edmund Gonzalez assumed the role of being the main opposition candidate.

The government-controlled National Electoral Council of Venezuela, announced on July 28, 2024 Maduro’s victory. The body confirmed the result on August 2, 2024, but did not release the ballots. The Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice, controlled by the current regime, said on August 22, 2024 that the ballots will not be released.

The Carter Center, a respected organization created by former US President USA Jimmy Carter, considered that the elections in Venezuela “were not democratic”. Read the full (in English – PDF – 107 kB) of the statement.

The results have been repeatedly contested by the European Union and several individual countries, including the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Brazil has not yet recognized Maduro’s election in 2024, but it has not made tougher demands like other countries that point to fraud in the process. The president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) even said he had not seen anything abnormal in the country’s election.

Human Rights Watch criticized Presidents Lula, Gustavo Petro (Colombia) and Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico) in August 2024. In a letter sent to the three, they stated that they needed to reconsider their positions on Venezuela and criticized the leaders’ proposals to resolve the impasse, such as a new election and a general amnesty. Read the full of the document (PDF – 2 MB).