Popular Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado was released Thursday afternoon after being briefly detained by opponents during anti-government protests in Caracas on Thursday. According to X’s statement by political aides.
Machado was “violently prevented from leaving the rally,” the party said in a statement. said in X. “Regime forces shot at the motorcycle that was transporting her.”
The country’s dictator Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term as president on Friday.
Machado has been living in hiding in Venezuela amid threats of arrest from government officials, and this was his first public appearance since August. She had called for rallies in cities across the country and around the world to protest Maduro’s inauguration.
Thousands of people gathered in support of Machado at an event in Caracas on Thursday, all risking government detention. There, an opposition leader stood on top of a truck and his supporters chanted “Freedom!” Freedom! Freedom! “
In X, political aide Magali Meda said Machado was leaving a rally when he was hit by a motorbike.
“A gun went off at the event,” Meda said. “They took her away by force.”
During her brief detention, “she was forced to film several videos, but was later released,” she added. “She herself will address the nation in the next few hours and explain what happened.”
Machado’s representatives did not say who detained her. The event is heavily attended by government security forces, who are often supported by members of armed groups known as colectivos.
Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior of Venezuela, speak in a television interviewcalled the capture a “lie” and accused the opposition of making it up to get attention.
Rebel groups, the United States and others say Mr. Maduro stole the recent election and that the real winner is Edmundo González, a former diplomat backed by Mr. Machado.
Mr. González has been living in exile since September.
Before being taken into custody, Machado told his followers: “This unit that we have built and grown every day has prepared us for this final stage.”
Regarding Maduro’s inauguration, she said, “Whatever they do tomorrow, they just buried themselves!”
About 2,000 people have been detained in Venezuela since the July 28 election, including most recently Mr. Gonzalez’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, and director of the prominent nonprofit Espacio Public. This includes a certain Carlos Correa. .