Venezuela denies that opposition members left country under international rescue operation
Associated PressMAY 9
US Says Five Opposition Leaders 'Rescued' from Venezuela
Above: Residence Hall of the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina in Caracas, Venezuela. Image copyright: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Even if it may frustrate the families of Americans still in custody in Venezuela, it's great news that the Venezuelan heroes are now safely beyond the reach of Venezuela’s authoritarian and illegitimate Maduro regime, thanks to a successful and precise extraction operation.
Establishment-critical narrative
These far-right activists voluntarily went to the Argentine embassy, and Caracas allowed them to remain there as long as they wished. In fact, they spent over a year there, largely due to the U.S. offering the possibility of a marine rescue — something that never materialized.