Venezuelan Opposition Figures Decry Conditions in Argentine Embassy "Prison"

Five Venezuelan opposition members seeking refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas have described their temporary residence as a "prison" due to deteriorating conditions. The opposition figures, including Magalli Meda, an adviser to María Corina Machado, have been sheltering in the embassy since March to avoid arrest, after warrants were issued for their capture.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Meda voiced frustration over the situation, highlighting that the embassy has been without power for over a month. She called the ongoing power outage a “violation of our human rights,” adding that the conditions had turned the embassy into a de facto prison.

The Venezuelan government, however, claims that the power cut is a result of the embassy's failure to pay its electricity bill. Despite this explanation, the lack of power and the continued detention of the opposition figures have sparked a growing outcry.

The opposition members are holed up in the embassy following Venezuela's contested presidential elections in July, in which both incumbent President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González declared victory. While the opposition has provided evidence of a vote count in their favor, Maduro has rejected these claims, and González has since fled to Spain. María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader who was barred from running in the election, is also believed to have fled the country.

Amid the political turmoil, Argentina and Peru recognized the opposition’s election victory, which has led to diplomatic tensions with Maduro's government. Meanwhile, Brazil has taken over operations of both Argentina’s and Peru’s embassies in Venezuela.

Meda criticized the lack of engagement from Argentina’s embassy, stating that no ambassador has attempted to address the dire situation. “Not one has come to this embassy. Have they tried? Surely some would have wanted to,” Meda wrote.

The strained relations between Venezuela and Argentina have been further exacerbated by the detention of an Argentine security officer in Venezuela earlier this month. The officer, who Argentina claims was visiting family, has been accused by the Maduro government of being part of a right-wing terrorist plot against the Venezuelan administration.

The diplomatic conflict, coupled with the harsh conditions faced by opposition members in the embassy, paints a picture of escalating political and international tensions in the region.