Brazil would be helping to mediate the release of an agent from the Argentine National Gendarmerie – one of the country’s federal security forces – who is imprisoned in Venezuela, according to a senior source in Javier Milei’s government.
According to the Argentine government, Corporal Nahuel Agustín Gallo was arrested in an “arbitrary and unjustified” manner by Venezuelan authorities last Sunday (8), after entering the country of Nicolás Maduro through the land border with Colombia.
A senior source in the Milei government told CNN that Brazil helps mediate the release of the police officer, as he has been in Venezuela since August.
A CNN He sought out the Venezuelan government to comment on the police officer’s case and is awaiting a response. The report also contacted Itamaraty, which has not yet commented.
A source from the Ministry of Security told CNN that the police agent was accused of espionage by Venezuelans. According to Argentine authorities, however, he had gone to Venezuela to visit his girlfriend and son.
“Despite the strictly personal nature of his visit, he was arrested immediately, without any legitimate reason and in open violation of his fundamental rights,” the Argentine Ministries of Security and Foreign Affairs wrote in a joint statement.
“The government of the Argentine Republic demands, categorically and immediately, the release of our employee. Argentina will not tolerate acts of this nature against its citizens and deplores these types of practices that violate the essential principles of respect for individual freedom and human dignity”, expresses the statement.
The Argentine government also stated that it will act “firmly in all instances and in all international organizations to demand the immediate release of the detained non-commissioned officer”.
“Maduro, every minute you detain him will be one more step towards your own end”, wrote the Argentine Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, on the social network X, with the agent’s photo and demanding the immediate release of the sub-officer.
