OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:15 AM – Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Marco Rubio has announced that five members of Venezuela’s political opposition, who had been sheltered in an Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas to avoid arrest, have left after more than a year and are now in the United States.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Rubio posted on X that all hostages were now on U.S. soil.
“The US welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian embassy in Caracas,” Rubio said on X. “Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on US soil.”
“Maduro’s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela’s institutions, violated human rights, and endangered our regional security,” he continued.
“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,” Rubio concluded.
In March of 2024, Argentinian President Javier Milei allowed the five people into the ambassador’s residence after authorities loyal to Venezuela’s ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting acts of violence to destabilize the country.
One of the hostages, campaign manager and communications director of opposition leader María Corina Machado, released a statement taking the people who helped in her rescue.
“Impeccable and epic operation for the freedom of five heroes of Venezuela,” she stated.
Milei said in a statement that the operation “represents an important step in defending freedom in the region”.
Since late November, the group has protested the continual presence of intelligence agency agents and police outside the apartment. It also accused the government of turning off electricity and water supply to the compound. The administration refuted the charges.
Fernando Martinez, a cabinet minister in the 1990s, remained with the group for nine months. Martinez abandoned the compound in mid-December and, according to Venezuelan authorities, appeared before prosecutors. He died in February.
Maduro’s government routinely targeted its real or perceived opponents prior to last year’s presidential election. Its crackdown on dissent only intensified after the country’s national electoral council, which is stacked with Maduro supporters, declared him the winner despite credible evidence to the contrary.
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