Juan Pablo Guanipa Taken By Armed Men In Caracas Shortly After Freedom

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Monday that one of her closest allies, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was kidnapped just hours after being released from prison, deepening political tensions in the crisis-ridden South American nation. Guanipa, a former governor and senior opposition figure, had been freed on Sunday after more than eight months in detention amid mounting pressure on the government to release political prisoners.

Machado said the abduction took place around midnight in a residential neighbourhood of the capital, Caracas, when “heavily armed men, dressed in civilian clothes, arrived in four vehicles and violently took him away,” her post on social media platform X said. She demanded his immediate release and called the act a continuation of political repression.

Guanipa’s release had come as part of a broader set of prisoner releases by the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has faced pressure from international actors and human rights organisations to free hundreds of detainees held on politically motivated charges. The releases followed a recent visit by representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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Earlier on Sunday, Guanipa had expressed hope about Venezuela’s future and discussed the need for democratic reforms after his release. Rights groups such as Foro Penal have welcomed the liberation of some prisoners but warned that many others remain incarcerated, and critics argue that the process has been slow and incomplete.

The government’s press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the kidnapping on Monday. Guanipa’s disappearance underscores ongoing instability and fierce political contestation in Venezuela, where opposition forces have been battling for democratic rights amid accusations of repression and harsh crackdowns by authorities.

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