The Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on Friday that an Argentine gendarme detained at the beginning of the month is being investigated for terrorism.an accusation that The government of the southern country later described it as a “lie.”
Nahuel Agustín Gallo, that he had entered Venezuela through a land border crossing in order to visit relatives in the town of Táchira, according to the Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires, “He has been detained for having tried to enter the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hiding his true criminal plan.”
First Corporal Gallo is investigated “due to its links to a group of people who attempted from our territory and with the support of international far-right groups to carry out a series of destabilizing and terrorist actions”added the Attorney General, Tarek Saab, in his statement.
The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded the immediate release of Gallo, as does the head of the Ministry of Security, Patricia Bullrich, the portfolio on which the Argentine Gendarmerie depends.
At a news conference with Gallo’s family later Friday, Bullrich along with Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein called the accusations a “lie” and said they were doing everything possible to resolve the situation.
“Argentina has demanded the recognition and release of Nahuel. What we tell Tarek Saab at this moment is that we want Nahuel Gallo to be returned to Argentina immediately”Bullrich stated.
“Here we see a prejudgment of Venezuela (…) His entry was totally and absolutely legal. What was not legal was the way in which he was kidnapped at the border”said Bullrich, who added that Gallo had a return ticket and had traveled to the country to visit his son during his free time.
For his part, Werthein pointed out that “This is a big lie, a big fallacy from a family person, young, who works in the Gendarmerie. Everything else is a horrible invention.”
Argentina and Venezuela maintain tense relations in which the libertarian president, Javier Milei, often clashes with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Madurowho is at the opposite end of the political spectrum.
Milei’s government cut ties with Caracas after Maduro was declared the winner of a close presidential election on July 28, which led Brazil to assume custody of its embassy and the ambassador’s residence in Caracas.
In August the staff of the Argentine Embassy in Venezuela left the country and the mission after being intimated by Caracas.
