Venezuelan opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa was allegedly kidnapped in Caracas around midnight Sunday — just hours after he was released from prison.
In a statement on X, opposition leader María Corina Machado said he had been taken by force by “heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes.”
Guanipa, a close ally of Machado’s, had been imprisoned after months of hiding. He was accused and arrested in May for leading a terrorist plot.
“Ten months in hiding and almost nine months detained here,” Guanipa said in a video posted following his release. “There’s a lot to talk about regarding the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth front and center.”
The politician’s release, as well as the releases of several other prominent opposition leaders, came as acting president Delcy Rodríguez has faced mounting pressure to free those detained due to their political activities.
Guanipa’s alleged kidnapping comes just a month after the United States captured and deposed long-time Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
This story may be updated.
Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She has previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair and Texas Public Radio.