MIAMI – Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly detained Thursday after security forces intercepted her convoy as it departed an anti-government rally in Caracas.
According to her team, the motorcycle she was riding was forced off the road amidst gunfire and Machado was forcibly taken away.
During her detention, she was compelled to record several videos before being released.
President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia repudiated the kidnapping on X, saying, “Very serious! “That María Corina is free does not minimize the fact of what took place, she was kidnapped under violent conditions,”
Cristian Hernandez / AP
Earlier in the day, Machado had emerged from months in hiding to lead protests against Nicolás Maduro‘s government.
Addressing a crowd of protesters shortly before her arrest, she declared, “They wanted us to fight each other, but Venezuela is united, we are not afraid.”
Her dramatic detention has sparked outrage across Latin America, with calls for accountability.
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe questioned whether the United Nations would act to protect Machado. Meanwhile, Maduro’s government has yet to comment on the incident.
The worldwide protests come on the eve of Maduro’s swearing-in for a contested third term.
Machado and opposition groups have rejected the election results, presenting evidence that their candidate, Edmundo González, won by a landslide.
Machado’s press team confirmed she would address the nation in the coming hours to recount the ordeal.
Hee is what the opposition posted on social media: X post.
