Default encoding of certain strings causes INSERT to fail

The code is:
query=INSERT INTO epic (KEY, VALUE) VALUES ("Y-11db7305-6adb-4237-b6d7-fa4a3497d2e9",

{ "0": "Y", "1": "&AB", "v": "$C(38)_AB" }

)
request = QueryRequest.Create(query);
request.ScanConsistency(ScanConsistency.RequestPlus);
queryResult = bucket.Query<dynamic>(request);

And the errors are:
error 3000 - syntax error - at end of input
and sometimes
error 1050 - No statement or prepared value