They leave the Argentine embassy in Venezuela without power after hosting Maduro’s opponents

The residence of the Argentine ambassador in Venezuela welcomed opposition political leaders in the face of “acts of harassment and persecution,” the Argentine presidential office reported, without revealing their identities. After receiving them, the place was left without electricity.

Argentina “has welcomed political leaders of the opposition in the Official Residence of the Embassy,” the government confirmed in a statement after the press reported that six activists linked to opposition leader María Corina Machado requested refuge in that diplomatic headquarters.

The Argentine government also expressed “concern” about an “incident” that occurred on Monday that “resulted in the interruption of the electricity supply at the official residence in Caracas.” After two days, the service has still not been restored.

He warned Venezuela “about any deliberate action that endangers the safety of Argentine diplomatic personnel and Venezuelan citizens under protection, recalling the obligation of the receiving State to safeguard the facilities of the diplomatic mission.”

According to journalistic reports, Magalli Meda, Machado’s right-hand woman, is among the opponents who asked for protection.

Seven Machado collaborators have been detained in Venezuela for allegations of “destabilizing” plans against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, and another seven, including Meda, are the target of arrest warrants.

“President Javier Milei urges the socialist Nicolás Maduro to ensure the security and well-being of the Venezuelan people as well as to call transparent, free, democratic and competitive elections, without proscriptions of any kind,” the statement concludes.

The main Venezuelan opposition coalition, the Unitary Platform, reported that it was blocked from registering its candidate, Corina Yoris, for the presidential elections on July 28.

Yoris was appointed by Machado due to her inability to run due to a 15-year disqualification from holding public office.

However, the alliance announced that it was able to “provisionally” nominate diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia this Tuesday.

Maduro aspires to a third term that projects him to 18 years in power.