US supporters of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who have stayed inside the country’s embassy in Washington for a month on Thursday accused US President Donald Trump’s administration of breaking international law by shutting off power to the diplomatic compound.
Brian Becker, the national director of ANSWER Coalition, said that he saw the US Secret Service and Washington DC Metropolitan Police on Wednesday evening surrounding workers from utility firm Potomac Electric Power Company as they cut power outside the embassy.
“This is a brazen violation of international law and there will be undoubtedly a cascading effect,” Becker told reporters. “If the United States does this to Venezuela, what prevents other countries to do it to the United States or to other countries?”
A spokesperson for the utility company said that it does not discuss the status of customer accounts or service to properties out of respect for customer privacy and public safety.
The Secret Service referred any request for comment to theUS Department of State, which then referred it to Carlos Vecchio, the ambassador to Washington designated by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Francisco Marquez, a political adviser to Vecchio, said that there is no conflict with international law because Vecchio is the ambassador recognized by Washington and he asked for the power to be cut.
“There is no doubt about the legitimacy of Vecchio nor the recognition from the host state,” Marquez said. “The only ones without legal arguments to be inside the embassy are the activists.”
Vecchio on Wednesday tweeted that the people in the embassy would no longer have power.
“Next step: their exit,” Vecchio wrote.
Ariel Gold, codirector of CODEPINK, said the power cut contravenes local tenancy laws, because it put the tenants in danger.
ANSWER Coalition and CODEPINK are among the organizations that moved into the embassy invited by Maduro as the US and another 50 countries recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president.
They see Maduro, whose government is recognized by the UN, as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin told reporters that 15 people remain inside the embassy and cannot cook, because the only stove available is electric.
“They cannot cook the little bit of rice and beans they have left,” Benjamin said.
Yet, Becker said that the activists inside are determined to stay.
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