Politics
U.S. Rescues Multiple Hostages From Venezuela In ‘Precise’ Operation
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that five Venezuelan dissidents who had been trapped for months were rescued in a “precise operation” and are now on U.S. soil.
The five political figures had been trapped in the shut down Argentine embassy in downtown Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, for 14 months. Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s forces had surrounded the embassy after the anti-Maduro political leaders had sought refuge there after last year’s rigged election.
“The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio announced Tuesday.
“Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro’s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela’s institutions, violated human rights, and endangered our regional security.”
“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 secretary of state added.
The five Venezuelan dissidents — Pedro Urruchurtu, Magallí Meda, Claudia Macero, Humberto Villalobos, and Ómar González — are close associates of María Corina Machado, who leads Venezuela’s only mainstream center-right party, Vente Venezuela.
All five now rescued dissidents had sought refuge in the Argentine embassy in March 2024 after Maduro’s regime issued arrest warrants. They remained there until the rescue operation was complete.
A sixth dissident, 70-year-old Fernando Martínez Mottola, was among the group seeking refuge at the embassy, though she opted to voluntarily turn herself in to authorities back in December. Martínez Mottola died after suffering a stroke two months later.
The group was targeted as a result of the Maduro regime’s violent crackdown that began in early 2024. The Venezuelan dictator has claimed, without evidence, that those targeted were involved in assassination attempts against himself and other key officials.
In July 2024, Maduro’s crackdown accelerated after he declared himself the winner of the nation’s presidential election, which has been widely condemned by international leaders due to unprovable results.
The opposition candidate in the rigged election, 75-year-old diplomat Edmundo González, fled to Spain after the “results” were announced. Machado remains in hiding under threat of arrest.
After Maduro severed diplomatic ties with Argentina and several other countries that refused to acknowledge his “victory” in the sham July 2024 election, Brazil agreed to take custody of the defunct embassy. A month later, Maduro revoked Brazil’s custody, though the nation continued to shield the embassy until Venezuela named a suitable replacement.
Argentine President Javier Milei expressed gratitude to the U.S. in an official statement after the operation was concluded.
“In addition, the National Government [of Argentina] deeply appreciates the efforts made to ensure the safety and well-being of those who for a long time were under Argentine protection from persecution by the regime of Nicolás Maduro,” the statement read.
