Venezuelan Foreign Minister Injured in Attempt to Enter Mercosur Talks

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez was injured as she was "thrown to the floor" by an Argentine security service officer after she tried to get into a Mercosur bloc meeting in Buenos Aires, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said.

"Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez was attacked by the Argentine government police, she sustained a serious injury and probably a fracture of clavicle," Maduro said on Wednesday, as quoted by the Noticias24 media outlet.

He said that the minister was "thrown to the floor" by an officer of the Argentine Foreign Ministry’s security service.

"We lodged a vigorous and absolute protest against the coward behavior of the Argentine government toward this dignified young woman, who represents the voice of the Simon Bolivar’s people," Maduro said.

The incident occurred at the meeting of Mercosur Latin American regional economic bloc’s foreign ministers in Buenos Aires. Rodriguez arrived in the Argentinian capital despite the fact that she had not been invited to take part in the meeting over Venezuela’s suspension from the organization.

Mercosur presidency for the second half of 2016 was supposed to be transferred to Venezuela, after Uruguay officially ended its chairmanship in July. However, there have been concerns over growing discord in Venezuela amid a political standoff between Maduro and the opposition-dominated parliament.

Venezuela was officially notified of having its membership in Mercosur suspended earlier in December.