There are already two collaborators of the Vente Venezuela party. This time it was Yoel Sucre, the party’s activism coordinator
The Vente Venezuela (VV) party, led by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, denounced the arrest, on Friday, of Yoel Sucre, bringing to two the number of collaborators of this political formation detained by the authorities in one week.
“Yoel Sucre, activism coordinator of Vente Venezuela in the municipality of Barinas [510 quilómetros a sudoeste de Caracas]was arrested by employees of the Bolivarian National Guard at a checkpoint located in the town of Bruzual, on the border between the states of Apure and Barinas, this Friday, May 22nd”, reported the VV Human Rights department on the social network X.
The VV explained that after a few hours, the collaborator was transferred to the headquarters of the National Guard (GNB) in Mantecal, in the state of Apure, “where he is handcuffed and ordered to be transferred to San Fernando de Apure, to be presented to court for terrorism and incitement to hatred”.
VV further explained that Yoel Sucre “returned to the country a few months ago, after being persecuted in 2025 in the post-election context, he reportedly appeared a few days ago in the courts of the state of Barinas to request amnesty, where he was informed that his case had been closed and that he was not wanted.”
“We alert the international community about this new case of persecution registered against our leadership in recent days. The persecution in the country by the regime continues. We demand an end to the harassment and the immediate release of Yoel Sucre”, he concluded.
On May 17, the Vente Venezuela party denounced the detention of collaborator Ángel León, when he returned to the country from neighboring Colombia.
In a message published on the social network X, VV began by saying that he lost contact with the coordinator of the Capital District when he was returning to Venezuela by land.
“According to the information we have, he is detained at the road control post located at Troncal 5, in the La Pedrera sector, on the Táchira-Barinas road,” he said.
According to VV, “Ángel was traveling accompanied by another citizen who works as a taxi driver, who is also in prison.”
“Both of them had their documents and cell phones taken away. We hold the regime responsible for the integrity of our companion Ángel León and his companion, and we demand their immediate release,” he concluded.
According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Justiça, Encontro e Perdão (EJP), on May 19, 654 people were detained in Venezuela for political reasons, 84 women and 570 men.
Among the political prisoners, the EJP identified 26 foreign citizens and 29 Venezuelans with dual nationality.
Among the foreigners are five Portuguese whose names were handed over to the Venezuelan authorities, as part of the visits to the country by the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Emídio Sousa, and the leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party, José Luís Carneiro, former holder of the portfolio, at the end of March.
During the visits, both highlighted to local authorities Portugal’s interest in having Portuguese political prisoners released.
At the time of the visits, six Portuguese people were in prison, one of which has since been released.
