Juan Pablo Guanipa, a leading Venezuelan opposition figure, was detained by heavily armed men on Sunday night, just hours after being released from a prison where he had been held as a political prisoner.
Supporters described the incident as a kidnapping and accused the Caracas regime of orchestrating it. The country’s public prosecutor later confirmed that authorities had requested Guanipa be placed under house arrest, citing an alleged breach of his release conditions.
Guanipa, 61, leads the conservative Primero Justicia party and was among several high-profile political prisoners freed on Sunday, in a move seen as Caracas’s attempt to appease U.S. demands following the ouster of strongman leader Nicolás Maduro.
“Heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force,” said Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently outside the country, in a post on X.
Guanipa’s son, Ramón, described the scene in a video, saying his father had been “ambushed at a late-night event by approximately 10 agents who had no identification whatsoever. They pointed their guns at him and took him away.”
Primero Justicia echoed the claims, holding interim President Delcy Rodríguez, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello responsible for Guanipa’s safety.
Guanipa had been arrested in May 2025 after Interior Minister Cabello accused him of plotting “terror” attacks against regional and legislative elections, charges Guanipa has consistently denied. He spent more than eight months in detention before being freed Sunday night.
After his release, Guanipa shared a video on social media, saying: “Today we are being released. Much to discuss about the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth at the forefront.”
The episode underscores the volatility of Venezuelan politics, with opposition leaders facing persistent threats even as the country navigates a delicate transition following U.S.-backed political shifts. Machado had earlier celebrated his release, writing, “My dear Juan Pablo, counting down the minutes until I can hug you! You are a hero and history will always recognize it.”
The rapid re-detention of Guanipa raises fresh concerns about the safety of political prisoners and the limits of Venezuela’s commitment to international demands on human rights and democratic reforms.
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