MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Gendarmería NCO goes missing in Venezuela

First Corporal Nahuel Agustín Gallo's partner lives in Venezuela - they have a child in common

An Argentine Border Guard (Gendarmería Nacional) non-commissioned officer has vanished one week after entering Venezuela from Colombia to visit his romantic partner and their child, it was reported by his family Friday in Buenos Aires.

The relatives claim that he was abducted last Sunday by the Nicolás Maduro regime after trying to get into the country through a land border with Colombia between Cúcuta and Táchira, a route he had chosen to mitigate airfare costs.

Argentina's Ministries of Security and Foreign Affairs issued a joint statement Friday regarding the situation of the law enforcement officer from Catamarca:

“The Argentine Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Security express their strongest rejection of the arbitrary and unjustified detention of the Argentine National Gendarmerie non-commissioned officer, First Corporal Nahuel Agustín Gallo, by the Venezuelan authorities.

On December 8, the aforementioned non-commissioned officer entered the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from Colombia, through a land border crossing, crossing the 'Francisco de Paula Santander' International Bridge, to go to the Venezuelan town of Táchira, with the sole purpose of visiting his family and his partner, with whom he shares a child in common. Despite the strictly personal nature of his visit, he was immediately detained without any legitimate reason and in open violation of his fundamental rights.

The Government of the Argentine Republic categorically and immediately demands the release of our officer. Argentina will not tolerate acts of this nature against its citizens and deplores this type of practice that contravenes the essential principles of respect for individual freedom and human dignity.

Argentina will act firmly in all instances and before all international organizations to demand the immediate release of the detained non-commissioned officer.”