Venezuelan Security Forces Surround Argentine Embassy in Caracas, Opposition Figures Seek Refuge

Venezuelan security forces have surrounded the Argentine embassy in the capital, Caracas, after two opposition members sought refuge inside, according to posts on social media by the duo. This incident adds to the four other Venezuelan opposition figures who have already taken shelter within the embassy this year.

Pedro Urruchurtu, the international coordinator for opposition leader María Corina Machado, took to social media platform X to describe the situation, stating that he saw patrols of hooded and armed officials surrounding the diplomatic building. Former deputy Omar González, also using platform X, mentioned that the electricity service to the embassy had been cut off and that it was currently besieged by agents of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) and other state security bodies.

In response to the situation, Vente Venezuela, a movement led by Machado, issued a statement describing the situation as a "siege." The statement blamed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the actions, holding him responsible for the ordeal facing their leaders who have sought refuge within the embassy. The group also mentioned the continuous arrival of regime agents near the embassy's headquarters in Caracas.

Notably, the Argentine government has filed requests for the opposition figures to be allowed to leave Venezuela, but these requests have not been granted thus far. CNN has attempted to gather further information by reaching out to the foreign ministries of both Venezuela and Argentina. However, no response has been received yet. CNN has also contacted the foreign ministry of Brazil, which has assumed the protection of the diplomatic building after Maduro expelled Argentine diplomatic personnel from Venezuela.

These expulsions came in the aftermath of Argentina's government questioning the results of the July 28 elections, in which Maduro was declared the winner. The detailed results of the election were not made public, as requested by several governments and international organizations. The developments at the Argentine embassy come just hours after Argentina's foreign ministry requested the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Maduro and other senior government officials for possible crimes against humanity allegedly committed during post-election protests.

During a forum in Buenos Aires, Argentinian President Javier Milei referred to Maduro as a "criminal." Argentina has also rejected an arrest warrant issued by a Venezuelan court against Edmundo González, the opposition Democratic Unity Platform (PUD) candidate and Maduro's main rival. The charges against González allege his responsibility in the publication of detailed data on the presidential elections, a claim he denies. The PUD has stated that they obtained the records through their election witnesses.