Argentina‘s Ministry of Security Denounces Former Ambassador Oscar Laborde for Treason
In a significant turn of events, Argentina’s Ministry of Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, has filed a formal complaint against former ambassador to Venezuela, Oscar Laborde, accusing him of treason. The ministry alleges that Laborde initiated unauthorized international efforts to aid Nahuel Gallo, the Argentine gendarme detained in Venezuela on espionage charges, without the government’s approval.
The ministry’s legal representative, Fernando Soto, presented a document outlining the government’s stance on Gallo’s case. Gallo, who traveled to Venezuela to visit his family, was detained by the chavista government, which has not provided public details about his condition. While the Argentine Foreign Ministry works diplomatically for Gallo’s release, Laborde, appointed by former president Alberto Fernández, allegedly began unauthorized international efforts to deliver a letter to Gallo, with the support of the Venezuelan government.
The ministry’s complaint states that Laborde presented Gallo’s entry into Venezuela as irregular, contradicting the government’s position, which has presented documentation proving Gallo’s authorization to enter the country. The ministry also accused Laborde of attempting to justify the Venezuelan government’s criminal conduct and generating a false narrative around Gallo’s detention, potentially aiding the crime of enforced disappearance.
Convinced that Laborde acted against the country’s interests and arrogated diplomatic powers reserved for the Foreign Ministry, the ministry presented him as a "collaborator of the Maduro regime." The ministry’s document also highlights that Laborde was involved in facilitating an exchange of letters between Gallo and his family, but did not question or endorse the Venezuelan government’s claim that Gallo was on a mission to rescue opposition figures.
In the complaint, the ministry asserts that Laborde’s actions were not humanitarian but aimed at collaborating with the Venezuelan regime that illegally detained Gallo. The ministry further alleges that Laborde’s actions were motivated by political interests, seeking to discredit Argentina and benefit the Venezuelan government, which faces international condemnation for its criminal conduct.
The ministry’s lawyer, Soto, also referenced the international arrest warrant issued by Argentine judge Sebastián Ramos against Nicolás Maduro and emphasized Laborde’s political motivations. The ministry is now seeking to hold Laborde accountable for his actions, which they believe have caused significant institutional damage to Argentina on the international stage.
