Juan Pablo Guanipa, a prominent Venezuelan opposition figure and close ally of Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, was reportedly kidnapped late Sunday in Caracas just hours after being released from jail, his son and opposition leaders said. Guanipa had been freed earlier in the day after more than eight months in detention on charges of leading a terrorist plot, part of a broader government-led release of political prisoners amid rising international pressure.
According to video statements posted by his son Ramón on social media, heavily armed unidentified men ambushed Guanipa in the Los Chorros neighbourhood, taking him away by force. Machado echoed the calls for his immediate release, condemning the abduction and urging authorities to provide proof of life. The government has not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance following his release.
The reported kidnapping casts doubt on Caracas’s vows to free detained opposition members under an amnesty law as part of political reforms. While officials claim nearly 900 prisoners have been freed, human rights groups, including Foro Penal, cite far lower figures and continue to document ongoing detentions of critics of the government. Guanipa’s abduction highlights deep tensions in Venezuela’s transition period and ongoing concerns over political repression.
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