Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado announced that her colleague, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been kidnapped just hours after being released from detention. Guanipa, the leader of the Justice First party, was reportedly taken in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas by heavily armed men in civilian clothes.
'Heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force,' Machado stated on social media. Guanipa, who spent eight months in prison, was one of several political prisoners released earlier amid the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.
Guanipa's party has condemned his kidnapping, attributing the act to the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship.' They reported that witnesses saw weapons drawn during the incident, elevating concerns about Guanipa's safety. The party has identified Venezuelan government figures, including Delcy Rodríguez and Diosdado Cabello, as responsible for any harm that may come to him.
Guanipa's son, Ramón, expressed his distress on social media after celebrating his father's release, demanding immediate proof of his father's survival. He holds the regime accountable for any incidents that may occur.
The incident underscores a broader pattern of political repression in Venezuela, where opposition leaders are frequently targeted in efforts to stifle dissent and maintain government control.
