By Lisandra Paraguassu and Vivian Sequera
BRASILIA/CARACAS (Reuters) -Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization to represent Argentine interests in the country, including administering the embassy where six opposition figures are sheltering, the Venezuelan government said Saturday.
In a statement, Venezuela said the decision was effective “immediately” and was due to proof that the embassy was being used to plan assassination attempts against President Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Gomez.
Brazil said that it had received the communication “with surprise” and Argentina said shortly afterwards that it rejected the “unilateral” decision by Venezuela. Both countries urged Maduro to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations.
“Any attempt to invade or kidnap asylum seekers who remain in our official residence will be harshly condemned by the international community,” Argentina said in a statement. “Actions like these reinforce the conviction that in Maduro’s Venezuela, the fundamental human rights are not respected.”
In its statement, Brazil insisted that it would remain in custody and defense of Argentine interests until Argentina indicates another state acceptable to Venezuela to do so.
“The Brazilian government highlights in this context, under the terms of the Vienna Conventions, the inviolability of the facilities of the Argentine diplomatic mission,” it said, adding that it housed six Venezuelan asylum seekers, assets and archives.
The escalation in the spat between the South American countries was first reported by Reuters.
On Friday night, some opposition members in the Argentine residence reported on their X accounts that the building was under surveillance and had no electricity. They posted videos showing men dressed in black and patrols from the government intelligence agency, SEBIN.
In March, six people sought asylum in the Argentine embassy in Caracas after a prosecutor ordered their arrest on charges including conspiracy. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has denied the allegations against her collaborators.
On Friday, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against Nicolas Maduro and other senior government officials for events that occurred after the July elections.
Venezuela broke relations with Argentina following its disputed presidential election on July 28. Brazil, like Colombia and Mexico, has asked the Venezuelan government to publish the full results of the vote.
The government has not done so and the country’s electoral authority proclaimed that President Nicolas Maduro won re-election for a third term.
(Report by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Additional reporting by Jorge Otaola in Buenos Aires; Written by Alexander Villegas and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Franklin Paul)