• Five Venezuelan opposition leaders have fled to the U.S. after 412 days in hiding at the Argentine embassy in Caracas.
• The operation involved U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed their safe arrival in the U.S.
• The escape comes as political tensions rise in Venezuela ahead of regional elections.
• Approximately 900 political prisoners remain detained in Venezuela, according to human rights advocates.
• Opposition leader María Corina Machado hailed the mission as an "impeccable and epic operation."

Five prominent Venezuelan opposition figures who had been sheltering for over a year at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas have successfully evacuated to the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on social media that the operation, which he described as a "precise" mission, concluded with all members now safely on U.S. soil, according to The New York Times, South China Morning Post, and BBC.

The opposition members, who include key allies of opposition leader María Corina Machado, had taken refuge in the embassy following threats of arrest from the government of Nicolás Maduro. Machado described their escape as "an impeccable and epic operation for the freedom of five heroes," emphasizing the risks and difficulties associated with their prolonged shelter, according to Anadolu Agency and Reuters.

The U.S. government has been critical of Maduro's regime, citing human rights violations and the repression of political dissent. Around 900 political prisoners remain detained in Venezuela, a situation that continues to raise alarms among international human rights organizations, as noted by various reports citing the watchdog group Foro Penal. Rubio condemned these actions and reiterated U.S. support for the Venezuelan opposition, according to South China Morning Post and BBC.

The timing of the operation raises concerns about potential repercussions against Machado and remaining political prisoners, as the Maduro regime has a history of retaliation against dissidents. With regional elections approaching, the Venezuelan government seems to be attempting to project a facade of normalcy despite the underlying repression, according to The New York Times and Reuters.