Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado reported that her colleague Juan Pablo Guanipa has been kidnapped just hours following his release from detention. Guanipa, who heads the Justice First party, was abducted in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas. Machado stated that heavily armed assailants in civilian dress arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force.
Guanipa, who had spent eight months in prison and was released alongside several political prisoners following US actions against the Maduro regime, faced accusations of terrorism and treason for his opposition to the government.
His party declared he was snatched by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' while moving to a different location. Witness accounts revealed that armed men pointed weapons at Guanipa and his companions before forcing him into a car. The Justice First party holds high-ranking officials in the Maduro administration accountable for any harm that may come to him.
The political landscape in Venezuela has grown increasingly perilous for opposition figures. Guanipa's son, Ramón, expressed concern for his father's safety on social media, demanding proof of his well-being while holding the regime responsible for any repercussions.
Guanipa, who serves as a prominent voice in the Venezuelan political discord, was previously barred from assuming office due to his refusal to pledge allegiance to Maduro's National Constituent Assembly. His case highlights the extensive and often violent measures used by the Maduro government against political dissenters, raising alarms among human rights advocates and the international community for urgent intervention.
Guanipa, who had spent eight months in prison and was released alongside several political prisoners following US actions against the Maduro regime, faced accusations of terrorism and treason for his opposition to the government.
His party declared he was snatched by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' while moving to a different location. Witness accounts revealed that armed men pointed weapons at Guanipa and his companions before forcing him into a car. The Justice First party holds high-ranking officials in the Maduro administration accountable for any harm that may come to him.
The political landscape in Venezuela has grown increasingly perilous for opposition figures. Guanipa's son, Ramón, expressed concern for his father's safety on social media, demanding proof of his well-being while holding the regime responsible for any repercussions.
Guanipa, who serves as a prominent voice in the Venezuelan political discord, was previously barred from assuming office due to his refusal to pledge allegiance to Maduro's National Constituent Assembly. His case highlights the extensive and often violent measures used by the Maduro government against political dissenters, raising alarms among human rights advocates and the international community for urgent intervention.
