According to the leader of the opposition in Venezuela, heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in vehicles and ‘violently’ took former deputy Juan Pablo Guanipa
The leader of the opposition in Venezuela, María Corina Machado, said in the early hours of Monday (9) that former deputy Juan Pablo Guanipa was “kidnapped” hours after being released from prison.
“Heavily armed men, dressed as civilians, arrived in 4 vehicles and violently took him away. We demand his immediate release,” said the Nobel Peace Prize winner last year. Guanipa is one of María Corina’s closest allies.
The Venezuelan opponent returned to prison after talking about elections during the period in which he took the opportunity to travel around Caracas on a motorcycle and meet with family members of political prisoners. The Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that he was re-arrested for violate the conditions of their freedom, that, among other measures, the prevent you from speaking publicly about your case.
The Public Ministry reported that it asked the court to impose house arrest on Guanipa, detained on May 23, 2025, linked to an alleged conspiracy against the election of governors and deputies to Parliament.
“The precautionary measures agreed by the courts are conditioned on strict compliance with the obligations imposed”, indicated the MP.
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and was one of around 30 political prisoners that the Venezuelan government released on Sunday night (8).
The country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, made a commitment to release the around 800 political prisoners who were held by the dictatorship by Nicolás Maduro. Since January 8, when the process began, approximately 400 people have left prison.
“Today we are leaving free. There is a lot to talk about the present and future of Venezuela. Always with the truth at the forefront”, said Juan Pablo Guanipa after being released.
*With AFP and Estadão Conteúdo
