Venezuelan authorities said they were seeking court approval to put prominent opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa under house arrest on Sunday, shortly after he was seized by armed men in Caracas in what his son called a kidnapping.
The incident came hours after Guanipa was released from jail after being held more than eight months on accusations of leading a terrorist plot.
He's a close ally of Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado who won the Nobel for her efforts to unseat long-time leader Nicolas Maduro. She and the politician's son Ramon Guanipa both said he had been forcibly taken by unidentified men.
"Heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force," Machado said in a post on X.
The younger Guanipa said in a social media video, "My father has again been kidnapped."
Venezuela's Public Ministry said in a statement that Guanipa broke the terms of his release, but did not provide details. It did not address whether he had been re-arrested.
Just hours before, Juan Pablo Guanipa had posted videos to social media in which he spoke to journalists and a crowd of cheering supporters. He urged the release of other political prisoners and called the current administration illegitimate.
Guanipa had said in an interview with a local online outlet that he spoke briefly with Machado after being released, and hoped to speak with her further the next day.
The incident casts uncertainty over government pledges to pass an amnesty law and free political prisoners, as U.S. pressure mounts a month after the Trump administration captured and deposed Maduro in January.
Venezuela's opposition and human rights groups have said for years that the country's socialist government uses detentions to stamp out dissent.
However, the government denies holding political prisoners and says those jailed have committed crimes.
Officials say nearly 900 have been released, but they have not been clear about the timeline and appear to be including releases from previous years. The government has not provided an official list of how many prisoners will be released or revealed their identities.
Rights group Foro Penal has said 383 political prisoners had been freed since the Venezuelan government announced on 8 January that it would begin a new series of releases.
It counted another 35 releases on Sunday, including opposition politician Freddy Superlano and lawyer Perkins Rocha, also close allies of Machado.
The group's director, Alfredo Romero, said on social media they did not yet have clear information about who took Guanipa.
Meanwhile, Maduro’s re-election in 2024 was widely condemned as fraudulent, and the U.S. government has made it clear that recognition of any transitional authority hinges on the genuine restoration of human rights.
The bodies of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and members of his household killed in Israeli–U.S. air raids were laid to...
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey buil...
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destructio...
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 9th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The death toll from Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342, according to the country's information ministry, as rescue teams continue searching affected areas and survivors face an uncertain recovery.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 6th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's seven-year prison sentence in a case linked to his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment