“The moral obligation to resist.”
That is the message that Pedro Urruchurtu, international coordinator of the campaign María Corina Machado and Edmundo González for the presidential elections in Venezuela on July 28, has it set in his X profile.
He and five other Venezuelan opponents have been sheltering in the Argentine embassy in Caracas for nine months.
They went to the embassy on March 20, after the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office, close to the government, accused them of crimes such as “conspiracy” and “treason.”
Argentina admitted in a statement to having welcomed them “with the support of the inviolability enshrined in the Vienna Convention, of which both nations, Argentina and Venezuela, are signatories.”
Since August, however, the embassy has been under the protection of Brazil after the government of Nicolas Maduro revoke Argentine diplomats’ authorization to remain in the country. The authorities allege that alleged terrorist acts by the asylum seekers were planned from the diplomatic headquarters.
In these 9 months, the Venezuelan opposition and the asylum seekers themselves in the embassy have denounced the siege of the diplomatic headquarters in various ways.
For a few weeks they have reported that they are without electricity supply and, therefore, without water.
Hundreds of people have been detained before and after the July elections, in which the National Electoral Council (CNE), with a majority of members appointed by the ruling party, declared Maduro the winner without showing results.
The opposition denounced fraud after publishing more than 80% of the minutes, which showed a clear victory for González.
The candidate had to leave the country and is now in Spain.
María Corina Machado, opposition leader who was disqualified from the elections, is in hiding.
Like many others, both are accused of “treason,” among other crimes.
Six of those accused opponents remain sheltered in the Argentine embassy without knowing how much longer they can resist.
“Acts to destabilize the government”
Those who share shelter with Pedro Urruchurtu are Magalli Medacampaign director of opposition leader María Corina Machado; Omar Gonzalez, Claudia Macero and Humberto Villaloboscollaborators of the Vente Venezuela party, led by Machado; Fernando Martínez Mottolaformer minister and advisor to the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD).
“It is a stressful, overwhelming situation. Obviously after 9 months and particularly after these 3 weeks (without electricity), there is emotional exhaustion. It is natural with the distance from the family, the dates we are on, the pressures there are and the threats,” Pedro Urruchurtu said in a statement to the media.
Eugenia Olavarría Meda, who lives in Spain, is the daughter of Magalli Meda. She found out about her mother’s situation from a friend, when Magalli was already in shelter.
“The threats had been rumors for a long time, since December 2023. Until they materialized, they were a reality,” he told BBC Mundo by phone from Spain.
The In March, the Attorney General’s Office of Venezuela issued an arrest warrant against all of them.. He accused them of being linked to alleged acts of violence to destabilize the government.
The attorney general, Tarek William Saabsaid that they were involved in a conspiracy that included assaults on military barracks and demonstrations, among other violent actions.
Throughout 2024 and, especially after the July 28 elections, the Venezuelan government detained hundreds of people. In early August, Maduro claimed that there were “2,229 captured terrorists.” In the latest report from Foro Penal, this NGO spoke of 1,903 people “imprisoned for political reasons.”
Eugenia Olavarría says she was mentally prepared for her mother to have to seek shelter, but not for “the first siege, on July 29, when they surrounded the embassy.”
It was after the elections, when the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner without presenting the minutes showing the results, something that the opposition and part of the international community describe as fraudulent.
The embassy was without water, without electricity service and surrounded by officials of the Bolivarian National Police. Furthermore, that night, they tried to enter the property without success.
“We have been without electricity since November 23, we saw that there was a deployment for that and there was no warning. A vehicle from Corpoelec, the state electrical company, came and simply took the fuses. A state company lends itself to besiege and take away services from an embassy. I think it is the greatest evidence of the violation of the Vienna Convention,” Urruchurtu explained.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry denounced “the harassment” to which its diplomatic headquarters was subjected. In turn, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that this was due to “the interfering actions” of the government of the Argentine president. Javier Milei at the time of “disregarding the electoral results.”
Venezuela demanded that the Argentine government withdraw its diplomatic personnel from Venezuelan territory and, since August, Brazil assumed diplomatic representation. of the southern country.
Since then, the opposition and refugees have reported continued harassment of the building.
Diosdado HairMinister of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace of Venezuela, replied: “I don’t know what he (Javier Milei) calls that they are harassing his embassy. (…) The Argentine embassy is there. They will see. Let them pay the electricity, then. Let them pay for the services. It’s not like we’re going to give them anything.”
Without water, electricity or hardly any food
The lack of electricity is not the only problem they report suffering at the embassy. The opposition said they also cut off drinking water supplies.
Due to the scarcity of water in Venezuela, tanks were installed in many places to store it when it arrives. But they run on motors.
“Since there is no electricity, the water does not arrive”adds Olavarría Meda.
The flow of water usually reaches the embassy on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but only a small amount enters. That is why additional tanks usually arrived, something that did not happen in the last three weeks.
“The little drinking water that has entered has literally been by authorization of the security forces who decide when, how much water and how it enters, which is tremendously serious,” said Urruchurtu.
And the situation does not improve.
“Today I managed to talk to her (my mother) at 4 in the morning, which is when the plant (electric generator) turns on… Let’s see if she could wash her face. When the plant is finished, it cannot speak. The data (from the mobile phone) is complicated,” said Eugenia Olavarría.
But, according to his testimony, the hardships do not end there.
“There were motorists from private companies that delivered to them (home delivery) who no longer wanted to complete orders for food or medicine,” he explained.
He precisely says that a few days ago, without electricity, Humberto Villalobos, one of the refugees, had an accident. “He broke his knee, he had stitches. “He needs pharmacy things.”
“If they let those who make us pass delivery (cast), they are asked uncomfortable questions, they are accused of collaborating with terrorists, for example. “This adds to a climate of generalized terror that makes them afraid to come,” Urruchurtu remarked.
“We are rationing everything. The little electricity we have, the little water that enters, the issue of food or first aid, medicines, etc. It is complicated in harassment,” he added.
Additionally, there is nothing entering or leaving the residence that is not controlled. “The regime takes photographs of everything. He knows everything there is. He knows that we are 6 unarmed and defenseless civilians.”
“They are becoming more and more isolated. They threaten them from all sides. They are surviving. It makes me sad (embarrassed) to even ask them how they clean the dishes,” remarked Eugenia, the daughter of Magalli Meda.
In his weekly program “With the hammer giving”, which is broadcast by the state channel VTV, the minister Cabello spoke of “the farce of asylum seekers in the Argentine embassy” and played a video showing alleged photos of water drums. and a writing with the legend “delivery of drinking water to the Argentine Embassy.”
He also exposed more photos of a swimming pool, supposedly from the diplomatic headquarters, full of water and images of the refugees where, according to the writing on the screen, they were “enjoying a barbecue.”
“It’s psychological terror”
Eugenia Olavarría denounces that now the refugee opponents “feel more spied on and watched than ever because they have placed surveillance on the surrounding houses. Especially the one next to (the embassy). “They kicked out the neighbors.”
A week ago, an alleged raid on houses adjacent to the headquarters of the Argentine Embassy in Caracas was reported. “The procedure, according to the complaint on social networks, was carried out by officials of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim),” reported the local press.
The information has not been confirmed by Venezuelan State authorities or by the opposition leadership.
“We have seen armed men, particularly in the house next door. Some photos of this recently came out, they are with long assault weapons. It’s very distressing. Added to this is the presence of patrols on the outskirts on a permanent basis. So it is a permanent siege in which, in addition to the issue of lack of services, that of the security forces is mixed in,” Urruchurtu pointed out.
“The Venezuelan government has not only denied safe passage, but has adopted unacceptable harassment actions: cutting off electricity, water, preventing access to food, presence of regime officials around,” explained the Argentine Foreign Minister. Gerardo Wertheinin a special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) convened especially to address the situation of asylum seekers in the embassy.
“This violates the Vienna Convention and the convention on diplomatic asylum. We cannot allow the inviolability of diplomatic missions to be undermined. “It is psychological terror,” he said.
“We try to be good. We try to do a routine, exercises. Although obviously there are days. There are ups and downs, naturally,” Urruchurtu said.
Added to the lack of services and surveillance are “constant threats on social networks, statements, threats towards us. “We are constantly accused without evidence of anything.”
“It is difficult to keep your spirits up in this situation of wear and tear.”
It is not the first case of an opposition politician who achieves asylum inside an embassy in Venezuela. One of the cases was that of Freddy Guevara in Chile or Leopoldo Lopez in that of Spain. But this case looks different.
“It is the first time that a siege of this magnitude and also continued has occurred. It is extremely dangerous and sets very serious precedents,” said Urruchurtu.
The Venezuelan opposition, as well as the Argentine government, has asked the government of Nicolás Maduro that the six from the embassy be granted safe passage so that they can leave the country without being detained.
“This involves negotiation and coordination between the actors who can provide it. We have asked for greater efforts and greater urgency between Argentina and Brazil and also with other allies in the region and outside it,” said Urruchurtu.
Up to 13 countries, including Chile, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and the United States, presented a joint declaration to the OAS to demand the “immediate granting” of these documents.
In May, when they had been sheltering in the embassy for about two months, Cabello, who at that time was not a minister, said: “They are not going to pressure us. Today I think the response from the Venezuelan government came out: denied. “There are no safe passages for those who do not love this country.”
“It is not a crime”
Eugenia Olavarría says that she rarely asks her mother about how she is, how she feels. It is a round trip because, at the same time, he says that his mother “many times protects me from informing me of what is happening.”
But he assures that, due to the character and way of being of his mother, who is very active, “she is in a very different reality than being free.”
“My mom experiences call after call. Now less and less, because you have to save battery (phone battery). “She is in constant contact with volunteers, with activists… She spends her time on a screen and my mother in her daily life was always on the street, always on the move.”
Olavarría says that his mother also feels guilty for the situation she puts her family in.
“My grandmother is in exile; my father, hidden. “This is a big family breakup,” he says.
As with Pedro Urruchurtu, in Magalli Meda’s X profile there is a posted tweet: “Winning an election is not a crime.”
“That’s what he tells me all the time, that winning elections is not a crime, that what happens against them is an act of war.”
It is not easy to think about the ways out of this situation.
“Anything is possible on the part of the regime. We have called on the International Community to achieve a solution framed in international law. It is our right within the Vienna Convention in case of asylum,” said Urruchurtu.
“Clearly we are asylum seekers, obviously, because we received asylum from Argentina, but we are hostages. “We fear for our lives.”
“You have to prepare for all scenarios. If the situation continues like this (no electricity, no water) we will not last this month. If they return the light, they will keep them like this until January 10, let’s see what happens“says Olavarría.
January 10 is the date on which Nicolás Maduro will take office as president of the country. At the same time, Edmundo González, from Spain, calls the official result a fraud, claims his victory and says that he will be the one to take office.
click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo.
Subscribe here to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday.
You can also follow us on YouTube, instagram, TikTok, x, Facebook and in our WhatsApp channel.
And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and activate them.
- The government of Venezuela announces arrest warrants against the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, his sister Karina and Patricia Bullrich
- Venezuelan security forces surround the Argentine embassy in Caracas as tension grows with Brazil over the custody of the building
- Venezuelan authorities release dozens of opponents detained after the elections