Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has reported that her colleague, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been kidnapped just hours after his recent release from detention. According to Machado, Guanipa, who is the leader of the Justice First party, was abducted in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas. She described how heavily armed men wearing civilian clothes arrived in multiple vehicles to forcibly take him. This incident has caused considerable alarm within opposition circles and among human rights advocates.
Guanipa, a prominent figure, had spent eight months imprisoned before his release, part of a larger context of political upheaval in Venezuela where many political prisoners have recently been freed. Following his release, Guanipa’s family expressed hope for his safety only to find themselves at risk once again. In a social media post, his son, Ramón Guanipa, condemned the regime for the kidnapping and demanded immediate proof of his father’s safety.
The Justice First party has accused the government of employing repressive tactics against opposition figures, stating that Guanipa's abduction was orchestrated by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship.' They are holding high-ranking officials accountable for any harm that may befall him and have called upon the international community to urge for his immediate release and to end the ongoing political persecution in Venezuela.
This troubling development underscores the risks faced by political opposition in Venezuela as tensions between the government and dissenting voices escalate.
Guanipa, a prominent figure, had spent eight months imprisoned before his release, part of a larger context of political upheaval in Venezuela where many political prisoners have recently been freed. Following his release, Guanipa’s family expressed hope for his safety only to find themselves at risk once again. In a social media post, his son, Ramón Guanipa, condemned the regime for the kidnapping and demanded immediate proof of his father’s safety.
The Justice First party has accused the government of employing repressive tactics against opposition figures, stating that Guanipa's abduction was orchestrated by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship.' They are holding high-ranking officials accountable for any harm that may befall him and have called upon the international community to urge for his immediate release and to end the ongoing political persecution in Venezuela.
This troubling development underscores the risks faced by political opposition in Venezuela as tensions between the government and dissenting voices escalate.
