Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado stated that her colleague, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been kidnapped mere hours after his release from detention. Guanipa, leader of the Justice First party, was reportedly taken in the Los Chorros neighbourhood of Caracas by heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes who arrived in four vehicles. Machado detailed the incident on social media, revealing that Guanipa was forcibly removed by the assailants.
Having spent eight months in prison, Guanipa was among several political prisoners freed following the US's recent seizure of Nicolás Maduro’s regime in January. His party labeled the abduction as an act by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' and reported that weapons were pointed at those accompanying Guanipa during the incident.
Justice First held high-ranking individuals within Maduro's government accountable for any potential harm to Guanipa's life and called on the international community to demand his immediate release and an end to governmental persecution against opposition members.
Guanipa's son Ramón celebrated his father's release on social media but quickly shifted to demand proof of his father's safety after the abduction. He stated: 'I hold the regime responsible for anything that happens to my father. Enough of this repression.' Guanipa, previously elected governor of Zulia, went into hiding after disputing the 2024 election, leading to accusations of terrorism and treason. He was eventually detained by Venezuelan security forces in May 2025.
This event is part of a larger pattern of political repression in Venezuela, where detention has been used by the Maduro regime to stifle dissent and silence critics.
Having spent eight months in prison, Guanipa was among several political prisoners freed following the US's recent seizure of Nicolás Maduro’s regime in January. His party labeled the abduction as an act by the 'repressive forces of the dictatorship' and reported that weapons were pointed at those accompanying Guanipa during the incident.
Justice First held high-ranking individuals within Maduro's government accountable for any potential harm to Guanipa's life and called on the international community to demand his immediate release and an end to governmental persecution against opposition members.
Guanipa's son Ramón celebrated his father's release on social media but quickly shifted to demand proof of his father's safety after the abduction. He stated: 'I hold the regime responsible for anything that happens to my father. Enough of this repression.' Guanipa, previously elected governor of Zulia, went into hiding after disputing the 2024 election, leading to accusations of terrorism and treason. He was eventually detained by Venezuelan security forces in May 2025.
This event is part of a larger pattern of political repression in Venezuela, where detention has been used by the Maduro regime to stifle dissent and silence critics.
