Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Detained in Caracas

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was detained by government forces on Friday in Caracas after her convoy was violently intercepted and fired upon, according to her campaign team. The incident occurred as Machado joined a protest organized by anti-government forces in the capital, which has been heavily militarized ahead of the scheduled inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro.

Machado, a prominent critic of Maduro’s regime, had been in hiding for over four months before emerging to lead the demonstration. Her team reported that security forces shot at the motorcycles transporting her and her entourage. “We are awaiting confirmation of her status,” her campaign stated, adding that the detention was a clear attempt to silence dissent.

The protest in Caracas was part of a broader mobilization against Maduro’s government, which opposition leaders claim illegitimately retained power after disputed elections in July 2024. Edmundo González, the opposition’s presidential candidate, who is currently in exile, condemned Machado’s detention and called for her immediate release. “As the elected president, I demand the immediate release of María Corina Machado,” González wrote on social media.

International leaders, including former Colombian President Iván Duque, have denounced the arrest, with Duque calling it a “kidnapping” and urging the International Criminal Court to intervene. Meanwhile, protests in support of the Venezuelan opposition have erupted in cities worldwide, including Madrid, Buenos Aires, and New York.

Machado’s detention comes just hours before Maduro is set to be sworn in for another term, a move widely criticized by the international community. The U.S., European Union, and other nations have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory, citing widespread electoral fraud and human rights abuses.

In her final public address before being detained, Machado vowed to continue fighting for democracy. “Venezuela has already decided. The regime has fallen,” she declared to cheering crowds in Caracas. Her arrest has further galvanized opposition forces, who view it as a desperate attempt by Maduro to cling to power.