Venezuelan opposition leader ‘violently intercepted’ while leaving rally ahead of Maduro’s inauguration
Opposition and independent election observers claim Venezuela election was stolen with Maduro winning just 30 per cent votes
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Your support makes all the difference.Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she is now safe after her aides said she was “violently intercepted” amid gunshots while leaving a protest in eastern Caracas.
Opposition protests took place throughout the country in a bid to put pressure on president Nicolas Maduro ahead of his third inauguration on Friday.
Ms Machado was detained after making her first public appearance in months, prompting her ally, former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, to demand she be freed immediately. Several governments also condemned the incident.
Ms Machado’s political group, Comando Con Venezuela, wrote on X that she had been “violently intercepted” while leaving the rally. “During the period of her kidnapping she was forced to record several videos and was later released,” said her team in a separate update.
"I’m in a safe place now and with more determination than ever," Ms Machado posted on the X platform after her release. “Tomorrow I will tell you what happened today and what is coming.”
“I have never felt so proud to be Venezuelan. Thank you, thank you, to all the citizens who took to the streets to claim our victory on July 28th and to OWN IT!” she added.
Government officials, including interior minister Diosdado Cabello, said her arrest was fabricated by the opposition in a bid to generate support for her movement.
"They end with the absurdity of absurdities, lying to say the government had captured Maria Corina," Mr Cabello said during a ruling party march in Caracas, accusing Ms Machado of filming the videos, which show her sitting on a curb and recounting losing her wallet during her detention.
In a statement to CNN, Venezuelan attorney general William Saab accused Ms Machado of attempting to create a “theatre to be victimised” in a bid to carry out a “psychological operation to unleash acts of violence” ahead of Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony on 10 January.
“The tactic of media distraction is not new, so no one should be surprised. Less so coming from fascists who are the architects of deception,” information minister Freddy Nanez said on Telegram following the reports of Ms Machado’s arrest.
Ms Machado had been in hiding in the past few months since the government’s crackdown on the opposition following the 28 July presidential election.
It comes as the opposition and the ruling party claim to have won the presidential election in July.
Meanwhile, the country’s electoral authority and top court say Mr Maduro, whose time in office has been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, won the vote, though they have never published detailed tallies. Venezuela’s opposition, in their own published tallies, claimed that their candidate Mr Gonzalez won the election, after receiving 67 per cent votes against Mr Maduro’s 30 per cent.
Independent observers including Carter Center and the Colombian Electoral Mission found the opposition tallies to be accurate. This comes as fear of repression from the Mr Maduro has escalated.
The government, which has accused the opposition of fomenting fascist plots against it, has said it will arrest Mr Gonzalez should he return to the country and has detained prominent opposition members and activists in the lead-up to the inauguration.
Ms Gonzalez, 75, has been on a tour of the Americas this week, meeting US president Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser.
"We have and continue to condemn publicly Maduro and his representatives for attempting to intimidate Venezuela’s democratic opposition," a White House National Security Council spokesperson said, adding Mr Gonzalez is the "true winner" of the election.
Ms Machado, 57, had urged protesters to peacefully flood the streets and repeatedly asked members of the police and military - who guarded polling stations during the election - to back Gonzalez’s victory.
"Whatever they do, tomorrow they will finally bury themselves," Ms Machado said before her detention. "Let no one be in doubt, what they do tomorrow marks the end of the regime."
Reuters witnesses estimated some 7,000 people had gathered in Caracas by around 2.20pm. In the days after the election, thousands also took to the streets.
"I’m not afraid, I lost my fear a long time ago," said 70-year-old Neglis Payares, a retired central bank worker, as she gathered with other opposition supporters in western Caracas in the morning.
Mr Maduro, 62, has been in power since 2013. He has the vociferous support of leaders in the armed forces and the intelligence services, which are run by close allies of Cabello.
In the western oil city of Maracaibo, an opposition protest of dozens of people was quickly dispersed by motorcycle-mounted security forces by late morning. In central Valencia, protesters gathered at another location after initially being met with tear gas.
Opposition supporters also gathered in San Cristobal, near the border with Colombia, in the western city of Barquisimeto and in eastern Puerto Ordaz. In Maracay, security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters.
The ruling party held rival marches nationwide, images of which were broadcast on state television.
"We’ve come out to show that there is a democracy. On this side are the patriots who will be sworn in with Nicolas (Maduro), on the other side are fascists who want (foreign) intervention, war, to sell their country," said 50-year-old Caracas motorcycle taxi driver Manual Rincon.
Mr Gonzalez has repeatedly pledged to return to Venezuela but given no details about how. An arrest warrant was issued for him for alleged conspiracy, prompting his September flight to Spain.
Ms Machado is being investigated by the attorney general in at least two cases, but no warrant for her has been made public.
The government has detained several high-profile politicians and activists, including a former presidential candidate. This week, the attorney general’s office said it had freed more than 1,500 of the 2,000 people, including teenagers, detained during post-election protests.
Sixteen people were detained during protests on Thursday, local advocacy group Foro Penal said.
Venezuelans living abroad also held protests, including in Madrid, where Mr Gonzalez’s daughter Carolina Gonzalez spoke to hundreds of demonstrators.
"My dad sends a hug to all of you, glory to the brave people of Venezuela," she said, her voice breaking.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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