“Venezuela Ends Brazil’s Oversight of Argentine Affairs Amidst Ongoing Dispute”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government has abruptly terminated Brazil’s role in representing Argentine interests in Venezuela, further escalating post-election tensions.
This move effectively ends Brazil’s stewardship of the Argentine embassy in Caracas, which currently provides asylum to six Venezuelan opposition members. The Maduro administration claims, without evidence, that the embassy is being used to plan assassination attempts, leading to the immediate cessation of Brazil’s authority.
Following the controversial presidential election in July, Maduro has intensified efforts to suppress opposition figures. Brazil, which had agreed to manage the Argentine embassy after Argentina severed ties with Maduro’s government, has rejected Venezuela’s decision. The Brazilian government asserts that international law, specifically the Vienna Conventions, protects the embassy’s inviolability and prevents local law enforcement from entering without consent.
In response to the recent announcement, the asylum seekers reported increased surveillance and a power outage at the embassy, with videos showing government intelligence patrols outside. These opposition members had taken refuge in the Argentine embassy in March, following arrest orders related to conspiracy charges.
This development comes amid growing domestic and international scrutiny of Maduro’s government following the July 28 election, which opposition leaders and many international observers have criticized as fraudulent.