The government of Venezuela lambasted Peru on Wednesday following a controversial football match, at one point accusing Lima of kidnapping its national team by refusing to allow the aircraft bringing the players home to refuel.
The diplomatic spat began following a 1-1 draw between the two countries' teams in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, after which Venezuelan players accused Peruvian police of beating them as they went to greet fans Tuesday night.
Following a delay in the plane's departure on Wednesday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Peru had carried out "another arbitrary act against the Venezuelans by preventing the plane bringing the team back from refueling."
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"This is kidnapping as vengeance against our team which played an extraordinary match" in the Peruvian capital, he said.
However, the Rutaca airline plane finally took off at 2:53 p.m. (1953 GMT), about four hours after the scheduled departure time.
The delay "occurred for purely administrative reasons related to fuel supply," according to the organization that operates Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport.
Gil reported that the delegation was "undertaking its return to Caracas safely" after the Peruvian government ordered a gasoline supply.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated that "the racist oligarchy of Peru has unleashed xenophobia against our noble team." Venezuela has spoken out against xenophobia, violence, and hostility."
The South American qualifiers had a turbulent night on Tuesday following a game between Brazil and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro that featured nasty fan fights.
Nahuel Ferraresi, a Venezuelan footballer, had previously shown bandages on his right hand, claiming that Peruvian police had "beaten me."
"These are things that should never happen." "After the game, we went to thank our Venezuelan fans," he explained.
Ferraresi stated that another player had given his jersey to fans and would do the same when the cops stopped him.
Videos of the event have gone viral on social media, showing Peruvian police officers swinging batons at the athletes.
The Venezuelan Football Federation condemned "acts of discrimination and xenophobia" directed at the squad and its supporters.
Peru is in last place in the qualifiers following the draw, while Venezuela, which has never qualified for a World Cup, is in an unprecedented fourth spot.
Peruvian police conducted an unprecedented identity check among spectators before the game and were accused of targeting Venezuelans.
This action comes just a week after a contentious decree authorising the government to deport foreigners went into effect.
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