Caracas: Reports from opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's team and Venezuelan media indicate that she was arrested in Caracas on Thursday.
Having been sought for arrest and largely in hiding, Machado made her first public appearance in months to lead a protest against President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration for a third term.
The opposition claimed on social media that Machado was "violently intercepted as she left the rally," alleging that shots were fired at her motorcycle convoy.
Machado had been wanted by Venezuelan authorities even prior to the disputed July 2024 elections, in which she was barred from participating, and had not been seen publicly since the peak of post-election protests in August.
On the eve of Maduro's scheduled swearing-in on Friday, the opposition organized a series of last-minute protests across Venezuela.
Venezuela's Information Minister Freddy Nanez was the first government official to address the situation, labeling the reports as a "media distraction."
"The strategy of media distraction is not new, so it should not come as a surprise," Nanez stated on Telegram. "This is especially true coming from those who are the architects of deception. Just moments ago, the right propagated the notion that [Machado] had been attacked and detained by 'regime motorcyclists'."
Edmundo Gonzalez, who campaigned for the presidency in July and subsequently fled to Spain following an arrest warrant issued against him after the election, has called for the release of Maria Corina Machado through social media.
"As the president-elect, I demand the immediate release of Maria Corina Machado," Gonzalez stated. "To the security forces responsible for her abduction, I warn: do not play with fire."
The ruling party of Maduro and the Venezuelan judiciary have dismissed this claim, despite recognition from Spain, the European Parliament, the United States, and others who acknowledge Gonzalez as the legitimate election victor and president-elect, if not the de facto leader.
Additionally, Spain's Foreign Ministry released a statement expressing its "total condemnation" of Machado's detention.
"The physical safety and freedom of expression and assembly for all individuals, particularly opposition political leaders, must be protected and upheld," the ministry in Madrid emphasized.
