Venezuela Opposition Leader Kidnapped Hours After Release
Venezuela Opposition Leader Kidnapped Hours After Release
Hours after his release, opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was abducted in Caracas by armed men in civilian clothes, prompting calls for his safe return.
In Caracas, opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was abducted by heavily armed men in civilian clothes hours after being released from eight months in detention. According to witnesses and Guanipa's allies, the men arrived in four vehicles in the Los Chorros neighborhood and forcibly loaded him into a car.
María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and ally, said Guanipa was taken by force and called for his immediate return. Guanipa's party Justice First denounced the operation as carried out by the repressive forces of the dictatorship and urged the international community to demand accountability.
The party said Guanipa was moving between locations when the abduction occurred. His son Ramón later posted on social media expressing concern and demanding proof that his father is alive.
The incident came after a wave of political prisoners being freed, with Foro Penal reporting at least 30 people released on Sunday. The episode highlights ongoing political crackdowns in Venezuela and the fragile state of opposition leadership under the government, fueling concerns about renewed persecution and security, especially in the capital city.
