CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Argentina's government on Wednesday accused its Venezuelan counterpart of continually harassing six members of the political opposition who have been sheltering for months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas.
It also urged the Organization of American States to pressure Venezuela to allow the safe departure of the six people to Argentina.
Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werhein said the Venezuelan government is subjecting them to a “strategy of physical exhaustion” and “psychological terror” through prolonged harassment. The four men and two women have lived at the ambassador’s residence since March to avoid arrest.
“The Venezuelan government has not only denied the safe passage that would allow their safe departure, but has adopted totally unacceptable harassment actions,” Werhein said during a session of the OAS’ permanent council. “The asylum seekers are subjected to water cuts, interruptions in electricity, restrictions on the entry of food and the constant presence of security forces in the vicinity of the diplomatic headquarters.”
The group living at the ambassador’s home includes the campaign manager and communications director of opposition powerhouse Maria Corina Machado. The government of President Javier Milei allowed them into the compound after authorities loyal to the ruling party issued warrants for their arrest, accusing them of promoting alleged acts of violence to destabilize the country.
Since late November, the group has denounced the constant presence outside the residence of Venezuelan intelligence service agents and police. It has also accused the government of cutting electricity and water services.
Venezuela’s Minister of Interior Diosdado Cabello last week called the group’s allegations a “farce.”
Werhein, however, on Wednesday accused the Venezuelan government of violating international law that enshrines the right to asylum and the inviolability of diplomatic offices in any country. He urged the members of the regional organization to act firmly or risk being judged by their inaction.
As time goes by, “the anguish and uncertainty for those seeking asylum increases,” he said.
In August, Brazil accepted Argentina’s request to guard the diplomatic compound in Caracas after Maduro’s government expelled its diplomats following Venezuela’s July presidential election. The vote’s disputed results, which Venezuelan electoral authorities claimed favor Maduro, prompted Milei to declare that he would not recognize “another fraud.” That drew the anger of Maduro and his allies.
But a month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization to guard the facility, alleging it had evidence of the use of the premises “for the planning of terrorist activities and assassination attempts.”
Brazil and Argentina have rejected those accusations.
Venezuela’s protracted political crisis deepened after the July 28 presidential election. The country’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared him the election winner hours after polls closed. But unlike previous presidential elections, electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts.
Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Machado, collected tally sheets from 80% of the nation’s electronic voting machines, posted them online and said the voting records showed that the faction’s candidate, Edmundo González, had won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.
On Wednesday, more than a dozen members of the Organization of American States joined Argentina’s call on Maduro’s government to allow the safe passage of those living at the ambassador’s residence.
“The continued harassment endangers the safety of the mission and individuals who may be seeking temporary refuge,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement after the organization's session. “We call for Maduro and his representatives to stop issuing politically motivated arrest warrants for members of the democratic opposition and to guarantee safe conduct for those sheltered in the Argentine Embassy.”
FILE - A police patrol car sits parked outside Argentina's embassy where some members of Venezuela's opposition are seeking asylum inside, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after the contested presidential election. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
The large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security.
In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that range from the New York City area through New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia.
The devices do not appear to be being flown by hobbyists, Fantasia wrote.
Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month and have raised growing concern among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.
Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists.
The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once.
Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information they may have.
Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot down the drones.
Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.
Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo told The Associated Press Wednesday “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.”
The aircraft weren't perceived as an immediate threat and didn't disrupt operations, Pinneo said. The Coast Guard is assisting the FBI and state agencies in investigating.
In a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Smith called for military help dealing with the drones, noting that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has the capability "to identify and take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems.”
However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday that “our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary.”
Many municipal lawmakers have called for more restrictions on who is entitled to fly the unmanned devices. At least one state lawmaker proposed a temporary ban on drone flights in the state.
“This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated," Murphy said earlier this week. A spokesman for the Democratic governor said he did not attend Wednesday's meeting.
Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday's meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted for about 90 minutes.
Peterson said DHS officials were generous with their time, but appeared dismissive of some concerns, saying not all the sightings reported have been confirmed to involve drones.
So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where are they coming from? What are they doing? “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson said.
A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Homeland Security.
Most of the drones have been spotted along coastal areas and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states.
James Edwards, of Succasunna, New Jersey, said he has seen a few drones flying over his neighborhood since last month.
“It raises concern mainly because there's so much that's unknown,” Edwards said Wednesday. “There are lots of people spouting off about various conspiracies that they believe are in play here, but that only adds fuel to the fire unnecessarily. We need to wait and see what is really happening here, not let fear of the unknown overtake us."
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AP reporters Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; and Wayne Parry in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
In this image taken from video, what appears to be drones flying over Randolph, N.J., Dec. 4, 2024. (MartyA45_ /TMX via AP)
Multiple drones are seen over Bernardsville, N.J., Dec. 5, 2024 (Brian Glenn/TMX via AP)
FILE - In this April 29, 2018, file photo, a drone operator helps to retrieve a drone after photographing over Hart Island in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
