Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Machado confirmed on Sunday evening that Juan Guanipa, leader of the opposition and Justice First party in Venezuela, was kidnapped again just a few hours after being released. The incident casts a shadow over the interim government’s commitment to releasing political prisoners.
According to Reuters, opposition leader Maria Machado confirmed that Guanipa was kidnapped by authorities in the Los Chorros community of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
In a social media post early Monday, Machado wrote, “Four cars carrying heavily armed individuals in civilian clothing arrived at the scene and took him away by force.”
Guanipa’s son, Ramon Guanipa, stated in a video posted on social media that his father was ambushed by ten fully armed men. He indicated that these individuals were “government officials” and demanded immediate proof that his father is still alive.
Guanipa, a former Vice President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, was one of several political prisoners released after the arrest of dictator Maduro by the United States. He had been detained for eight months on charges of “plotting terrorist conspiracies” before going into hiding and being arrested again months later.
Just hours before being kidnapped again, Guanipa posted a video on social media addressing journalists and cheering supporters. He called for the release of other political prisoners and pointed out the lack of legitimacy of the current government.
Maduro is widely seen as having seized power through electoral fraud. Many countries, including the United States, do not recognize the legitimacy of his regime.
Machado, who has been dedicated to ending Maduro’s dictatorship, and thus received the Nobel Peace Prize, had previously called for Guanipa’s release.
During an interview with a local network on Sunday, Guanipa stated that he had a brief conversation with Machado after being released that day and hoped for further talks the next day.
Following the arrest of dictator Maduro by the United States, Venezuelan officials claimed that nearly 900 people had been released. However, the authorities did not disclose the list of those released or their identities, nor did they provide a clear timetable for the releases, which may include political prisoners released in previous years.
The Criminal Justice Forum human rights organization reported that since January 8, when the Venezuelan authorities announced the start of a new round of releases, 383 political prisoners have been set free. On Sunday, an additional 35 people were released, including prominent opposition figures Freddy Superlano and lawyer Perkins Rocha.
Alfredo Romero, director of the Criminal Justice Forum, expressed uncertainty on social media about the specific unit that arrested Guanipa.
Guanipa was elected governor of Zulia state in 2017 but was prevented from taking office for refusing to be sworn in before Maduro’s constituent assembly.
Guanipa went into hiding to avoid arrest after being charged with terrorism and treason for questioning the results of the 2024 election. In May 2025, he was tracked down and arrested by the Venezuelan security forces.
After Guanipa was kidnapped again on Sunday, the Justice First party issued a statement on social media calling for his immediate release and an end to the persecution of the opposition.
For years, the Venezuelan opposition and human rights organizations have accused Maduro’s socialist regime of suppressing dissent and silencing opposition voices by detaining political prisoners.