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By Patricia Mazzei and Zach Montague
A chaotic political confrontation with international diplomatic implications began to grow silently Weeks ago in a green side street of the exclusive neighborhood of Georgetown in Washington, when a group of American activists he moved to the Venezuelan Embbady five floors and installed in the residence.
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They arrived, they said, to prevent the United States from going to war.
Activists from Pink code and other groups opposed to an intervention in Venezuela took their business to spend the night sleeping on sofas to occupy the building all day. They declared that they were guests, invited by the government of President Nicolás Maduro, and that their mission was to oppose any US military intervention in the problematic nation of America. South.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, gives guidelines to activists./ T.J.Kirkpatrick / The New York Times
Representatives of Juan Guaidó, leader of the opposition recognized by the United States and nearly 50 other countries as acting president of Venezuela, they promised to take charge of the embbady, a gesture that those who occupy now fear I found myself in a virtual seat at the United States Embbady in Venezuela and an armed conflict that ensues.
At the end of April, in the United States, Venezuelans who support Guaidó learned about the existence of occupation and went to the building to ask activists, who They consider illegal intruders, go out
In the days that followed, fierce clashes between occupiers and Venezuelans, who camped in tents around the building, intensified, provoking nine arrests by secret services. Wednesday evening the electricity company cut off electricity of the embbady, pushing its occupants in the dark. The protesters outside applauded.
But Maduro's supporters remain in control despite the efforts of the opposition and the United States.
"We are in a lawless situation," said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink.
Anti-war activists are alone in the embbady building since late April, when US visas have expired for embbady staff, which He forced Venezuelan diplomats to return home.
Benjamin said that he was trying to keep the peace until a neutral third party, like the Swiss government, took over the embbady. Supporters of Guaidó insist that they do not defend US military intervention in Venezuela, but that They just want the Americans to leave a building that does not belong to them.
Naylet Pacheco dances to the beat of Latin music in front of the Venezuelan Embbady in Washington. / T.J.Kirkpatrick / The New York Times
"I do not support US intervention, so I'm even more upset about the situation," said Venezuelan Dilianna Bustillos, a senior Oracle executive who has been absent from the embbady for eight days. "I think it's hypocritical for a group of Americans to be against the intervention and to be next in our embbady."
The occupants filled the windows of the upper floors with posters with letters explaining "GOLF FAILED". Washington police and the secret services have established a barrier separating the pro-Guaidó camp from supporters of Maduro and other activists on the other side of the street.
The former ambbadador has already left for a long time. Even before the departure of other diplomats, the embbady had stopped providing services such as pbadport renewal. Carlos Vecchio, ambbadador appointed by Guaidó and recognized by the White House, appeared twice at the Embbady entrance last week, but he was not admitted.
Corali Rodríguez at the entrance of the Venezuelan Embbady in Washington. / T.J.Kirkpatrick / The New York Times
Francisco Márquez, political adviser of Vecchio, said that once the United States recognized Guaidó as the constitutional leader of Venezuela, members of the embbady they lost their legitimacy as Maduro's guests. The State Department also stated that he considered his presence "unauthorized".
There is no doubt about who has authority over the embbady, "said Márquez. We literally have foreigners who enter Venezuelan territory illegally, they are really committing a crime. "
No one has come in to forcibly evict a person. Benjamin said that it would violate an international treaty which protects the sovereignty of diplomatic missions. Márquez stated that the treaty applied to the recognized government in question, that is Guaidó's, and that it would not protect Code Pink or the other groups.
When Pepco, the utility, sent an employee to the inspection well Wednesday night and cut off the building 's electricity, Benjamin asked whether Pepco had faced the political pressure exerted by the Trump administration . The company said the electricity bill had been paid until the end of May.
Márquez stated that Pepco acted after Vecchio contacted the utility company and explained the situation. Ben Armstrong, a spokesman for Pepco, declined to comment, "out of respect for the privacy of the client and public safety".
Venezuelans who support the Guaidó camp around the embbady. / T.J.Kirkpatrick / The New York Times
At the height of the occupation of the embbady, about 50 people were inside, sleeping on the floor, sharing culinary tasks and participating in artistic and musical activities. But only about 15 people stay in the buildingsaid Benjamin. The others have not been able to return since the protesters arrived and have effectively blocked most of the entrances.
Two activists have been arrested in recent days for trying to deliver food. One of them threw bread and lettuce into the embbady courtyard.said Benjamin. Other he tried to throw a cucumber. An attempt to route food by means of a rope and a window pulley was unsuccessful.
"They are not hostages, they can go out and eat," said Gabriela Febres, a Venezuelan woman who has been on the site for 10 days. "They can protest, but we can too, and that's what we do, they can protest anything they want, but not inside the building." They can go to the Capitol and express their dissatisfaction with Trump on the Capitol with their senators.
Supporters of Guaidó have covered a wall of photos of recognized anti-Maduro activists, including many whose death blames the government. A handwritten poster on the back brought a code of conduct in Spanish that urged people to respect the Embbady's website and to "show firmness and not be offensive".
"We are not trying to hurt anyone by doing what we do," said Bustillos, who is now preparing to enter his ninth day in front of the embbady. "We just ask them to go out please."
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