Rubio Says Venezuelan Dissidents Freed in Rescue Operation

The five opposition figures had taken refuge in the Argentine embassy in Venezuela for over a year.

Police man a roadblock on a street leading to Argentina's embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 6, 2025. Cristian Hernandez/AP Photo

Five members of Venezuela’s political opposition who had taken refuge at the Argentine diplomatic residence in Venezuela’s capital for over a year arrived safely in the United States this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 6, calling the extraction a “successful rescue.”

While Rubio offered few details about the group’s journey, he said the effort was a coordinated operation to free political dissidents held hostage by the regime of Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela.

“The U.S. welcomes the successful rescue of all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas,” Rubio said in a statement on social media. “Following a precise operation, all hostages are now safely on U.S. soil. Maduro’s illegitimate regime has undermined Venezuela’s institutions, violated human rights, and endangered our regional security.”

The five who reportedly departed on May 6 had been living under siege by Venezuelan security forces since March 2024, following accusations of attempting to destabilize the Maduro regime.

Argentina had granted them formal asylum on their arrival, with a May 6 statement by Argentina President Javier Milei’s office describing their extraction as an “impeccable operation” coordinated with the United States.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s office praised the effort in a May 6 statement, calling it a “historic milestone” in both the personal lives of the rescued opposition figures and in the “broader struggle of all Venezuelans who yearn for freedom.”

The Argentine residence in Caracas, under Brazilian protection since Buenos Aires severed ties with Maduro after Venezuela’s contested 2024 election, had become a focal point of international tension. Brazil, which was not involved in the extraction, said it had repeatedly urged Venezuela to allow safe passage for the asylum-seeking opposition members.

“These repeated efforts were not accepted, prolonging the difficult humanitarian conditions at the Argentine residence in Caracas, which had been surrounded by security forces,” Brazil’s foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday. “The announcement of their departure ends this episode and the ordeal experienced by the asylum seekers for more than 400 days.”

The five opposition figures had long complained of harassment and pressure by Venezuelan intelligence agents, including power and water cutoffs to the residence—allegations the Maduro regime denied.

Venezuelan authorities have rejected Rubio’s account of a rescue operation, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello describing it as the result of negotiations with the Venezuelan government.

Cabello told The Associated Press that the opposition figures’ exit was negotiated with the government, not forced or covert. He also said one of the six who initially sought asylum at the compound had already left in August, disputing statements by opposition leaders.

“They put on their show, and in the end, they ended up negotiating,” Cabello said during his weekly television program.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the State Department with a request for comment on Cabello’s claims about the circumstances of the extraction.

The operation comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent following Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election. The electoral council, controlled by Maduro allies, declared him the winner amid widespread allegations of fraud. Protests erupted nationwide, prompting a harsh government response that left more than 20 dead and led several countries, including Argentina, to cut diplomatic ties with Caracas.

Opposition leaders are now calling for the release of over 900 political prisoners detained in the aftermath of the vote.