The residence of Argentine lawyers in Caracas, where five members of the Venezuelan opposition live to avoid arrest, has become a “prison,” another opposition member who lives there said on Saturday.
This residence has been without power for more than a month, said Magalli Meda, who is an adviser to the leader of the opposition party Maria Corina Machado, said X.
“It is a violation of our human rights. It has become an embassy prison,” he wrote.
The Venezuelan government says the power cut happened after the area failed to pay its electricity bill. Opposition members have been trapped in the area since warrants were issued for their arrest in March.
In July, Venezuela held contested presidential elections in which both President Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez claimed victory. The opposition presented detailed vote tallies in their favor, while Maduro did not.
Gonzalez has fled to Spain and Machado, who was banned from running in the elections in July, is in hiding.
Argentina and Peru supported the election of the opposition parties, which caused a diplomatic conflict with the Maduro government. Brazil has taken over the management of the embassies of both countries in Venezuela.
“No ambassador has ever come to this embassy. There is no one. Have they tried? Surely others would want to,” said Meda.
Venezuela and Argentina are currently in a diplomatic dispute over the arrest of an Argentine security official in Venezuela earlier this month.
The Argentine government says the man went to visit family there, and Maduro’s administration has accused him of being part of a terrorist plot against the government.
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