Brazil to grant refuge to attackers of Venezuelan military base

Brasilia, December 30 (RHC)-- Brazil’s far-right government has announced that it “took in” the five fugitive perpetrators behind the December 22nd attack on a Venezuelan military border garrison and will initiate the procedures to grant them refuge under Jair Bolsonaro's administration. 

According to the statement from the Brazilian Ministry of Defense, the "five Venezuelan servicemen were found by the Brazilian military on its territory on December 26th during a routine patrol of border areas." 

On Sunday, Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza rejected and denounced the “unusual decision confirming the pattern of protection and complicity of U.S. satellite states to attack Venezuela's peace through mercenaries who have confessed their criminal activities.”

The attack was carried out on December 22nd on Military Infantry Garrison 513 located in the southern border state of Gran Sabana.  During the attack 120 assault rifles and nine rocket launchers were stolen and a Venezuelan army trooper was killed during the raid. 

A day after the incident, Arreaza denounced that the attackers came from Peru, passed through Colombia and received support in Brazil.  "It is a coup strategy of the triangulation of governments of the Lima Cartel to produce violence, death and political destabilization in Venezuela.  We denounce these governments before the world." 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged the government of Brazil not to support "terrorist actions" against the South American country.  Prior to Brazil’s announcement, Venezuela had informed they began procedures to ask for extradition. 

Arreaza added Sunday that to grant refuge to confessed perpetrators is not only a "grievance to humanitarian international law but it establishes dangerous precedent of protection of people that have committed blatant crimes against the peace and stability of another state."