5 Venezuelan opposition leaders rescued from Argentinian Embassy in Caracas

Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald on May 6, 2025

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Five Venezuelan opposition leaders who had been trapped inside the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas have been rescued and are now safely in the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday night.

“The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio said in a statement on X. “We extend our gratitude to all personnel involved in this operation and to our partners who assisted in securing the safe liberation of these Venezuelan heroes.”

The rescued individuals — Magallí Meda, Claudia Macero, Omar González, Pedro Urruchurtu, and Humberto Villalobos — are prominent collaborators of opposition leader María Corina Machado. They had sought asylum in the Argentinian Embassy residence in August 2024 amid escalating political persecution. The embassy, under Brazilian protection following Argentina’s diplomatic expulsion from Venezuela, had become a flashpoint in the ongoing diplomatic crisis.

It remains unclear how the opposition figures managed to exit the embassy or whether their departure occurred with the tacit approval of Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government.

Machado, who is reportedly in hiding within Venezuela following a harsh crackdown on the opposition after the contested July presidential election, praised the rescue operation.

“An impeccable and epic operation for the freedom of five Venezuelan heroes,” she wrote on social media. “My infinite recognition and gratitude to all who made it possible. Let’s free each of our 900 heroes imprisoned by this tyranny, along with 30 million Venezuelans!”

Tensions surrounding the embassy deepened after the Maduro government expelled Argentina’s diplomatic corps last year and later revoked Brazil’s authorization to protect the site, accusing it of allowing terrorist activity on embassy grounds. Despite the revocation, Brazil continued to provide limited protection.

Prior to their extraction, the five opposition figures had made repeated public appeals to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, urging him to take swift action and facilitate their safe departure. In a joint letter published on social media, they criticized Brazil’s lack of action, arguing it contradicted its role as a defender of human rights and international diplomatic conventions.

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