In brief
The Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, was arrested during a protest in Caracas just before Nicolás Maduro is sworn in for a third term. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the country.
María Corina Machado, the prominent Venezuelan opposition leader, found herself in custody following an anti-government demonstration in Caracas on Thursday. Her party, Vente Venezuela, made the announcement via a post on X, confirming that this marked her first public appearance since August due to escalating threats from the Maduro administration. Eyewitness accounts remain unclear regarding the specifics of her detention, but numerous government security forces were present at the protest. The statement from her party revealed that she was “violently intercepted as she left the gathering in Chacao," and reports indicate that government troops fired upon the motorcycles transporting her. The situation unfolds just a day before Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to be inaugurated for a controversial third term, further inflaming the political climate in Venezuela.
