Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado reported that her colleague Juan Pablo Guanipa had been kidnapped just hours after his release from detention. The incident occurred in the Los Chorros neighbourhood of the capital, Caracas, where heavily armed men in civilian clothes reportedly forced him into a vehicle.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, indicated on social media that Guanipa was taken away by four armed individuals. Guanipa leads the Justice First party and had spent eight months in prison, becoming one of several political prisoners released following the U.S. seizure of Venezuela's then-President Nicolas Maduro in January.
His party issued a statement claiming that Guanipa was abducted by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' while relocating. They alleged that weapons were drawn during the abduction, as eyewitnesses maintained that they were also threatened.
Justice First went on to hold prominent Venezuelan officials responsible for any potential harm to Guanipa, calling on the international community to demand his immediate release and to end the persecution of opposition figures in the country.
Just hours before the kidnapping, Guanipa's son Ramón celebrated his father's freedom on social media, expressing hopes for family reunification. His release occurred alongside at least 30 others, according to human rights organization Foro Penal. Guanipa has been a vocal critic of the Maduro government, which has been accused of using political detentions to suppress dissent and silence opposition leaders.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, indicated on social media that Guanipa was taken away by four armed individuals. Guanipa leads the Justice First party and had spent eight months in prison, becoming one of several political prisoners released following the U.S. seizure of Venezuela's then-President Nicolas Maduro in January.
His party issued a statement claiming that Guanipa was abducted by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' while relocating. They alleged that weapons were drawn during the abduction, as eyewitnesses maintained that they were also threatened.
Justice First went on to hold prominent Venezuelan officials responsible for any potential harm to Guanipa, calling on the international community to demand his immediate release and to end the persecution of opposition figures in the country.
Just hours before the kidnapping, Guanipa's son Ramón celebrated his father's freedom on social media, expressing hopes for family reunification. His release occurred alongside at least 30 others, according to human rights organization Foro Penal. Guanipa has been a vocal critic of the Maduro government, which has been accused of using political detentions to suppress dissent and silence opposition leaders.
