US Police May Arrest Protectors Of Venezuela's Embassy In Washington - Activists

US authorities may return to Venezuela's embassy in Washington in the coming hours to arrest the remaining members of the Embassy Protection Collective who are guarding the facility and residing there as guests of the Venezuelan government, activists said in a statement on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2019) US authorities may return to Venezuela's embassy in Washington in the coming hours to arrest the remaining members of the Embassy Protection Collective who are guarding the facility and residing there as guests of the Venezuelan government, activists said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Police intervention was stopped last night, but they may return with arrest warrants today, Tues. 5/14," one of several groups participating in the collective, Struggle La Lucha, said via Twitter. "Everyone who can, should get to embassy to defend Venezuela's sovereignty and Embassy Protection Collective."

On Monday night, the US Secret Service broke into Venezuela's embassy. Opposition leader Juan Guaido's representative, Carlos Vecchio, said in a statement that the US Secret Service agents have ordered the activists to leave the embassy or face imprisonment and prosecution.

However, at least four Embassy Protection Collective activists remain in the embassy despite the warnings.

They have repeatedly said they are inside the diplomatic facility legally, residing as guests of the legitimate Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro, and subject to local Washington, DC tenant laws as well as the Vienna Convention.

The Venezuelan government characterized the US authorities' intrusion into their embassy in Washington as a violation of international law.

"Venezuela categorically rejects the violation of the international law that the US is executing when entering the Venezuelan diplomatic headquarters in Washington. The US does not respect the Vienna Convention," the Venezuelan Embassy in Saint Lucia said on Tuesday via Twitter.

The Embassy Protection Collective activists have been staying in the Venezuelan embassy since April. US authorities turned off the water in the embassy on Saturday and have prevented food and medical supplies from being delivered to the facility.