Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado disclosed that her colleague Juan Pablo Guanipa has been kidnapped just hours after his earlier release from detention. This incident occurred in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas, where heavily armed men in civilian clothing reportedly seized him.
Machado expressed her concern on social media, stating, Heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force. Guanipa had recently been freed after spending eight months in prison, amidst a wave of releases of political prisoners coinciding with the US's actions against former President Nicolás Maduro.
Justice First, the party led by Guanipa, condemned the kidnapping, expressing that he was taken by the repressive forces of the dictatorship while he was transitioning between locations. They asserted that those accompanying him were threatened with weapons prior to his forceful abduction.
In light of the incident, his party has placed responsibility for Guanipa's welfare on several high-ranking officials, demanding the international community's intervention for his immediate release and an end to government persecution against opposition members.
Hours before the kidnapping, Guanipa's son, Ramón, had shared celebratory messages on social media regarding his father's release. Following the news of the abduction, Ramón called for immediate proof of his father's safety and held the government accountable for any potential harm.
The abduction of Juan Pablo Guanipa comes on the heels of his release along with over 30 others, amidst efforts by opposition and human rights organizations highlighting the oppressive tactics used by the Maduro regime against dissenters.
Guanipa had previously served as the governor of Zulia region, but was barred from taking office after his refusal to swear allegiance to Maduro's National Constituent Assembly.
