Chancellor Arreaza Rejects Attack on Venezuelan Embassy in Lima

Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza on Sunday condemned the attack by dozens of protesters against his country's embassy in Peru. 

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"We demand Peru's authorities comply with the Vienna Convention and protect our diplomatic and consular mission in Lima. We demand respect for Venezuelan migrants in Peru, just as we do with the hundreds of thousands of Peruvians living in Venezuela," Arreaza stated on his official Twitter account on Feb. 21.

On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators threw stones and set fire to information posters on the fence of Venezuela's embassy in Lima while insulting the diplomatic staff and yelling xenophobic phrases.

The attack caused damages to the facility's facade, and fortunately, any Venezuelan diplomats were injured.

The attackers stated that they were protesting the murder of a Peruvian resident in Colombia by alleged Venezuelan criminals.

Although the protesters had declared their intention to march on the embassy and had previously attempted to reach Peru's government offices, only three local police officers secured the Venezuelan diplomatic mission. Police backups that brought the situation under control arrived just after the attack was carried out.

It is not the first event of this kind suffered by the Venezuelan diplomatic staff in Lima, since in January 2019, a similar event occurred after the former Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020) did not recognize Nicolas Maduro's victory on May 20, 2018, presidential elections.