Opposition leader María Colina Machado’s team and Venezuelan media reported that Machado was arrested in Caracas on Thursday.
After being arrested and mostly in hiding, she appeared in public for the first time in months in Caracas to lead protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s bid for a third term.
Opposition parties said on social media that Machado was “violently prevented from leaving the rally” and also claimed that shots were fired at the motorbike convoy.
But in a subsequent message to X, Machado said: “I am more determined than ever to stay safe and stay by your side until the end.”
She also promised to provide more information on Friday about “what happened today and what will happen in the future.”
Machado has been wanted by Venezuelan law enforcement since before the contested July 2024 election, in which he was not allowed to run, but post-election protests reached a climax. He had not been seen in public since August.
Rebels staged a series of 11-hour protests around Venezuela on the eve of President Maduro’s swearing-in, scheduled for Friday.
Minister of Information Dispute Report
Venezuela’s Information Minister Fredy Nanez was the first government official to react, calling the report a “media mess.”
“The tactic of media distraction is not new, so no one should be surprised,” Nanez wrote on Telegram. “Not so much what the fascists who are the architects of the deception say. A few minutes ago, the right wing promoted the idea that (Machado) was attacked and detained by ‘regime goons’.”
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the opposition’s explanation was a “lie”. “If there is a decision to detain her, she will be detained,” he said.
Spain’s exiled opposition presidential candidate denounces arrest
Edmund González, who ran for president in July and fled to Spain shortly after authorities issued an arrest warrant after the vote, called online for Machado’s release.
“As president-elect, I demand the immediate release of Maria Colina Machado,” Gonzalez wrote. “I say to the security forces who kidnapped her: Don’t play with fire.”
Gonzalez and the opposition claim they were the rightful winners in July and have released partial voting records that they say prove the official results cannot be accurate.
Maduro’s ruling party and Venezuelan courts have rejected this claim, but Spain, the European Parliament, the United States and others have recognized González as the “legitimate” election winner and president-elect, if not the de facto president. .
Spain’s Foreign Ministry also released a statement saying it “totally condemns” Machado’s arrest.
“The physical integrity and freedom of expression and demonstration of all people, especially the political leaders of the opposition parties, must be protected and protected,” the Madrid-based ministry said.
msh/ab (AFP, Reuters)
