Year under siege: Meet the Venecuelan leaders trapped at the Embassy | Human rights news

Honey remembers the last sunrise in which she enjoyed outside the embassy.

She woke up early to attend the tour of the opposition leader Maria Corin Machado to discuss the escalation persecution of the Venezuelan government – and decided who would represent the coalition on the upcoming presidential election.

The government has already banned Machado running, despite the victory in the rink in the primary opposition.

Then the news that changed everything came. State Attorney Venezuela Tarek Saab appeared on television to announce the arrest warrant for a series of opposition members – and Medina’s name was on the list.

“We had to run, hide and get rid of. It was a brutal situation,” said Honey, who was Machado’s campaign manager during the election. She spoke with Al Jazeera through written correspondence sent electronically.

“I will never forget that call to my husband to bring him the news,” she added.

Two of her colleagues were already detained that day. In a viral video, Dignora Hernandez, a political secretary of the opposition, could see her screaming for help while agents merged her into a silver vehicle.

Honey and the others had to act quickly. In the past, members of the opposition have sought refuge within the embassies, exploiting the International Agreement – the 1954 Caracas Convention – which enables diplomatic missions in Latin America to assign asylum to individuals who face political persecution.

In addition, the Viennese Convention on Diplomatic Relations prevents the host authorities from entering the premises without prior approval.

In the case of honey, the Argentine Embassy would provide a key refuge. His government has long been critical of the reported violations of human rights under Venezuela President Nicolas Madur, and offered honey and five other asylum at the residence of the ambassador.

Initially, honey and her colleagues not only found physical security within the embassy walls, but also a space to continue working on the presidential campaign before the 2024 election.

But a year, the group situation has become more insecure – and Maduro is still in power.

After a vote of July 28, Maduro requested a victory, despite the published vote indicating that he was pierced by the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.

In December, the United Nations Human Rights Committee opened an investigation to analyze the evidence that the vote was set. He ordered the Maduro government to refrain from destroying any choice while the probe is ongoing.

After Argentina refused to acknowledge Madur’s controversial election victory, her diplomats were expelled. Argentina transferred the control of the embassy to Brazil, but the diplomats of those countries failed to enter the premises that were blocked by local authorities.

Today, five opposition members are left alone within an empty embassy.

The Venecuelan intelligence service and armed forces are stationed on the street outside. Security officials seized nearby houses, and those in the embassy say that the state electricity company came to ensure fuse from the electricity box, leaving them only to the electricity generator.

Human rights groups condemned Venezuela for breach of international asylum rules, including the right to a safe passage.

Carolina Jimenez Sandoval, President of the Washington Office about Latin America, a advocate group based in the United States, described the situation as a “siege”.

“One purpose is to psychologically break them – to feel it is better for them to leave the embassy, ​​then let them in Venzuelan security forces detained,” Jimenez explained.

“Holding a building or a diplomatic mission under the constant siege and cutting electricity and water, the Venezuelan government shows how much it is willing to break international rules to achieve its own purpose.”