Venezuela: "Alarming" increase in arrests

“We are following reports of an alarming increase in arrests of individuals linked to trade unions, political parties, community organizations and other activist groups,” the organization said in a statement on Friday.

AI said the arrests “unfortunately confirm patterns of a policy of persecution of opinions and dissent in the context of electoral processes” and demanded that authorities “release all those arbitrarily detained”.

Hours earlier, the Venezuelan government announced the arrest of politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, accused of belonging to a “terrorist network”, while the opposition leader reported more than 50 arrests in the country, on the eve of legislative and regional elections.

AI noted that “states concerned about the crisis in Venezuela have an obligation to demand justice.” “We recall that crimes against humanity do not have a statute of limitations,” it added.

Guanipa, who is close to opposition leader María Corina Machado and was living in hiding, “is one of the leaders of this terrorist network,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a speech on state television, claiming that “the complete plan” for subversion was contained in seized mobile phones and a laptop.

Cabello also announced the arrest of other people linked to the alleged conspiracy, including foreigners.

The detained leader was a member of the opposition-controlled parliament, elected in 2015 and became parliamentary vice-president in 2020, under the presidency of Juan Guaidó.

According to María Corina Machado, in addition to Guanipa, “more than 50 political and social leaders, human rights defenders, journalists and activists” were detained in the Caribbean country, in “pure and simple state terrorism”.

“Juan Pablo Guanipa is a brave and honest man. He is my companion and my brother. He is an example for all citizens and political leaders, inside and outside Venezuela,” said Machado.

Shortly afterwards, a message was published on Juan Pablo Guanipa's profile on the social network X: “If you are reading this, it means that I have been kidnapped by the forces of Nicolas Maduro's regime.”

“I don’t know what will happen to me in the next few hours, days and weeks. But I am certain that we will win the long fight against the dictatorship,” the message adds.

Venezuela's largest opposition bloc, the Unitary Democratic Platform, also said at X that it "rejects the wave of persecution that has been unleashed against an undetermined number of citizens in recent hours."

Sunday's elections in Venezuela are being boycotted by a large part of the opposition, which accuses President Nicolás Maduro of fraud following the July 2024 presidential elections that saw him re-elected for a third term.