BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) 鈥 An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela鈥檚 attorney general said Friday.

In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of 鈥渂eing part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts (in Venezuela) with the support of international far-right groups.鈥

In a press conference on Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as 鈥渁nother lie鈥 by Venezuela鈥檚 government, and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina 鈥渋mmediately.鈥

The case has ramped up tensions between Venezuela鈥檚 socialist government and the right-wing administration of Argentine President Javier Milei, whose embassy in Caracas is and is surrounded by Venezuelan security forces.

Gallo, a corporal in Argentina鈥檚 Gendarmer铆a security force, was detained by Venezuelan officials on Dec. 8 after he showed up at an immigration office along Venezuela鈥檚 border with Colombia and sought permission to enter the country.

Gallo鈥檚 relatives said that he had traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife, who is Venezuelan and was in the country to spend some time with her mother. They have published an invitation letter that was sent to Gallo, and said he was on vacation at the time of his arrest.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Argentina in August after Milei and several other Latin American leaders refused to recognize the reelection in July of Venezuelan President Nicol谩s Maduro.

Argentina鈥檚 diplomats were expelled, but the five opposition activists, who had sought refuge at the ambassador鈥檚 residence to avoid arrest, remained in the building after they were denied safe passage out of Venezuela.

The activists, who have been holed up in the embassy since March, recently said that Venezuelan security forces have cut off electricity and water to the residence in a bid to pressure them to leave the building.

Venezuela officials have denied those accusations, and said that the activists used the Argentine embassy to plan terrorist acts.

The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal said earlier this week that 19 foreigners are currently being held in Venezuela as political prisoners.

In September, two Spanish citizens who were on vacation in the south of Venezuela and accused of being part of a plot to overthrow President Maduro. They were arrested just days after Spain鈥檚 parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonz谩lez as the winner of the election.

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