An aide to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado said she was detained and arrested on Thursday in a chaotic episode that capped a day of protests aimed at preventing President Nicolas Maduro from clinging to power. He said an official denial came shortly after.
It's not clear exactly what happened after Machado said goodbye to hundreds of supporters, jumped on a motorcycle and rode with security down a deserted street in eastern Caracas to an undisclosed location.
At 3:21 p.m. local time, Machado's media team announced in a social media post that security forces had “violently interfered” with her motorcade. Her aides later confirmed to The Associated Press that the hard-line opposition figure had been detained, prompting an international outcry from leaders in Latin America and abroad calling for her immediate release.
But about an hour later, a Maduro supporter posted a 20-second video of Machado online in which the opposition leader said he was followed after leaving the rally and dropped his wallet. “It's okay, we're safe,” Machado said in a hoarse voice, adding: “Venezuela will be free.”
Thousands of Venezuelan opposition supporters take to the streets ahead of Maduro's third inauguration
Later, her aides said in social media posts that the proof-of-life video message was forced and released after being recorded. They said she would reveal details of the “kidnapping” later.
Meanwhile, Maduro's supporters denied she had been detained and gloated that rebels were trying to spread fake news to spark an international crisis. “No one should be surprised,” Communications Minister Fredy Nanez said. “Especially since it's coming from the fascists who are behind the dirty tricks.”
Early Thursday morning, Machado said he would take to the streets, a day before Maduro was scheduled to be sworn in for a third six-year term in the ruling party-led National Assembly, despite credible evidence that Maduro had lost the presidential election. He addressed hundreds of supporters who heeded his call.
“They wanted us to fight, but Venezuelans are united. We are not afraid,” Machado shouted from atop a truck in the capital minutes before his arrest was reported.
Mr. Machado, 57, is a hardline former lawmaker who stayed on and fought against Mr. Maduro even after many supporters of the opposition leadership fled. They join the exodus of around 7 million Venezuelans who have abandoned their homeland in recent years.
Loyalists who control the country's judiciary last year barred her from running against President Maduro. According to voting machine records collected by rebels and verified by international observers, she cleverly favored an unknown outsider, former diplomat Edmundo González, with a more than 2-to-1 lead over Maduro. He defeated President Maduro by a margin of .
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado speaks to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, January 9, 2025, the day before he was inaugurated for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Kubijos)
Mr. González was among those who called for Mr. Machado's release in the immediate aftermath of what appeared to be a surprise arrest, citing the title of president-elect recognized by the United States and other countries.
“I warn the security forces: stop playing with fire,” he said in a social media post from the Dominican Republic, where he met with President Luis Abinader and a delegation of former presidents from across Latin America.
There were relatively few participants in Thursday's protests as riot police were called out. Venezuelans, who have seen President Maduro's security forces round up scores of opponents and regular bystanders since the July election, have been reluctant to mobilize in the same numbers as in the past.
“Of course there aren't many people,” said Miguel Contrera, an empanada vendor, as National Guardsmen wearing anti-riot shields passed by on motorbikes. “There is fear.”
The protesters who did show up blocked a main street in one rebel stronghold. Many of them were elderly and wore red, yellow and blue, answering Machado's call to wear the colors of the Venezuelan flag. All said they rejected Mr. Maduro and recognized Mr. González as Venezuela's legitimate president.
Javier Corrales, a Latin America expert at Amherst University, said the deployment of security forces and pro-government armed groups known as “colectivos” to intimidate opponents confirms Maduro's deep fears. He said that
Since the election, the government has arrested more than 2,000 people, including up to 10 Americans and other foreign nationals, as they seek to oust President Maduro and take control of the oil-rich South American country. They claim they are planning to cause chaos in the country. This week alone, masked gunmen arrested a former presidential candidate, a prominent free speech activist, and even Mr. González's son-in-law, who was taking his young children to school.
“It's an impressive show of strength, but it's also a sign of weakness,” said Corrales, who co-authored an article in the Journal of Democracy this month titled “How Maduro Stole Venezuela's Vote.” spoke.
Mr. Corrales said, “While Mr. Maduro is safely in power, Mr. Maduro and his allies know that they are proceeding with a big lie and have no choice but to rely on the military. There's no way to justify being there.”
Venezuela's National Electoral Council, made up of government supporters, also declared Maduro the winner of the election. But unlike in previous contests, authorities did not provide access to voting records or precinct-level results.
However, the opposition recovered the tabulation sheets from 85% of the electronic voting machines and posted them online. They showed that the party's candidate, Mr. Gonzalez, defeated Mr. Maduro by a margin of more than 2-1. Experts from the United Nations and the Atlanta-based Carter Center, both invited by Maduro's government to monitor the election, said the tally published by the opposition was legitimate.
The United States and other governments also recognized Mr. González as Venezuela's next president. Even many of Maduro's former leftist allies in Latin America plan to skip Friday's swearing-in ceremony.
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President Joe Biden met with Gonzalez at the White House this week and praised the previously unknown former diplomat for being “an inspiration to millions of people.”
“The people of Venezuela have the right to a peaceful transfer of power to the true winner of the presidential election,” Biden said after the meeting.
