In a dramatic reversal, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was forcibly detained on Sunday evening mere hours after his release from state custody. The 61-year-old senior member of the Primero Justicia party, a prominent government critic, was seized by approximately ten armed individuals operating from multiple vehicles who brandished weapons during the operation.
Eyewitness accounts, including testimony from Guanipa’s son captured in a viral online video, confirmed the assailants displayed no official identification during the apprehension. The Public Prosecutor’s Office subsequently issued a statement justifying the re-detention, alleging Guanipa had violated the terms of his conditional release and requesting his transfer to house arrest.
This development occurred on the same day Caracas initiated the release of dozens of political prisoners under a negotiated arrangement with Washington. The prisoner releases form part of diplomatic agreements following last month’s capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez had previously committed to additional prisoner releases in the coming days.
Independent human rights organization Foro Penal verified at least 30 individuals were freed Sunday, though noted hundreds remain incarcerated. The Venezuelan government maintains its position that all detainees face legitimate criminal charges, denying any political motivations behind imprisonments.