Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was reportedly kidnapped hours after his release from prison, raising alarm among opposition groups and human rights organizations in Venezuela.
María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said on social media that “heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes” seized Guanipa late Sunday in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas shortly after midnight.
The incident came just hours after authorities freed Guanipa as part of a broader release of political prisoners, including several high-profile opposition figures.
Guanipa, a close ally of Machado and former vice president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, had been detained since May 2025 on charges the opposition rejects as politically motivated.
His son, Ramón Guanipa, earlier celebrated his father’s release, saying the family would soon be reunited after more than eight months in detention.
Justice First, the opposition party Guanipa leads, accused “repressive forces of the dictatorship” of abducting him and held senior government figures responsible for his safety. The party said companions reported that weapons were pointed at the group before Guanipa was forced into a vehicle.
Opposition leaders called on the international community to demand his “immediate release” and end what they describe as ongoing persecution of government critics.
Venezuela’s interim government has not publicly responded to the kidnapping allegations as of Monday evening.
This development comes amid political upheaval following the U.S.-backed ouster of former President Nicolás Maduro, continuing debate over an amnesty law, and ongoing calls for the release of remaining political prisoners.
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