A Huenyan special forces team has broken two Huenyan diplomats out of a local jail in Milintica two days ago. The move has sparked a major diplomatic row between the two theoretically allied nations.
“Due to the refusal of the Arana administration to discuss their blatant violation of diplomatic immunity, the Huenyan Federation did what it had to do in order to protect our diplomats abroad and uphold international law,” President Xiadani told a joint session of the Federal Legislature today. The President confirmed that a Federation Special Forces squad broke the two diplomats out of the jail in Aropaonui, where they had been held since September 17th. Huenyan officials confirmed that the two diplomats are safely back in Huenya, and that no casualties were suffered during the operation.
The two diplomats were being charged with refusing to obey a lawful order, resisting arrest and incitement to riot by Aropaonui police and were awaiting trial. However, officials with the new Milintican administration had indicated that they were considering espionage charges as well against the pair. President Xiadani told the Legislature that possibility was ultimately what caused Huenya to break them out. “The fact that we were not being allowed to see our people, or determine their wellbeing, was a huge concern. But the idea that two of our diplomats were possibly going to be tried for espionage – that was completely unacceptable to us.” The President also blamed President Neina Arana of Milintica for refusing to discuss the matter with Huenyan officials. “We were left with no recourse but to protect our people.”
Members of the Communist Party, Democratic Socialists and Green Party did stage a walkout in protest as Xiadani was speaking. However, the overwhelming majority of the legislators expressed support for the President’s decision. “Protecting the lives of our people is paramount. The President did the right thing, and she should never apologize for it. If anyone should apologize, it is Neina Arana and the bumpkins in Aropaonui who forced us to do this,” Maysumak, a Conservative Party legislator from Ixtenco, told DTNS.
That seemed to be the overwhelming sentiment on the Huenyan streets as well. A poll taken by HNN indicated that 72% of those polled supported the operation to free the diplomats. 23% believed that Huenya should have taken even stronger action against the Arana government in response.
For her part, President Arana expressed outrage during a broadcast on Milintican National Television. “The government of Huenya has violated every single norm one would expect from a so-called ally. They have tried to influence our elections and prevent an MCP victory to support their stooge, Matōchmizalo. They inserted spies into our country disguised as ‘election observers’ and tried to steal our vote. They then blatantly violated our judicial process and our national sovereignty to save their spies and cover up their crimes. Huenya and their jackbooted capitalist leader Xiadani have gone too far, and Milintica will not simply accept this,” Arana said. She announced that she has given all Huenyan diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. “If we cannot trust these so-called diplomats to engage only in diplomacy and not in duplicity, they cannot remain in our country. It is that simple.” Arana stopped short of formally severing diplomatic relations with Huenya, but said that Huenyan diplomats cannot return “until they can be trusted.”
Arana also accused Huenya, by violating Milintican sovereignty, “of acting no better than Xiomera who they supposedly despise.” The comparison sparked another wave of outrage in Huenya; a group of conservative politicians and activists staged a burning of an effigy of Arana in response on October 12th in Chuaztlapoc. “Comparing us to the evil that is the Xiomeran Empire is a grave insult. Neina Arana needs to learn to watch her words and actions, unless she requires further education about that than she received on October 10th,” a statement from the group who staged the protest read.
It is unclear what further blowback may result from the incident. Huenya has not responded in kind by expelling Milintican diplomats, in a move seen as trying to cool the temperature a bit. However, Milintican officials told DTNS that Milintica will pull its own diplomats out of Huenya if the demands of the Arana government are not met. They include the return of the two diplomats who were broken out of jail, along with a formal apology from the Xiadani administration. Both measures have already been labeled as non-starters by Huenyan officials.
Milintican officials have also stated that they want the other UCS nations, Eiria and Manabí Rive, to formally censure Huenya for their actions. “Our continued membership in the UCS is contingent upon whether or not the UCS upholds the values of national sovereignty and ensures that Huenya faces consqeuences for their actions.” Manabí officials have already indicated to DTNS that they do not intend to back any plan to censure Huenya.
