Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Venezuelan opposition leaders Friday and expressed robust assist for his or her trigger amid South American dictator Nicolas Maduro’s newest crackdown on political dissent.
“Honored to meet with the brave Venezuelan opposition leaders who were targets of Maduro’s repression and tyranny,” the highest US diplomat wrote on X. “Their braveness evokes all working in the direction of extra democratic futures, particularly following the arbitrary arrest of [Juan Pablo Guanipa] and over 70 people.
“The U.S. will not waver in our support for Venezuelans’ fighting for democracy and the safe return of all wrongfully detained Americans.”
Guanipa, a high ally of jailed opposition chief Maria Corina Machado, was arrested by the Maduro regime early Friday morning.
His arrest comes forward of regional elections in Venezuela scheduled for Sunday, which the ruling authorities has accused the opposition of attempting to sabotage.
“We are dismantling a terrorist and conspiracy network against our country, the elections, and the peace of our people,” Venezuela’s Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello stated on state-run tv, asserting Guanipa’s arrest and dozens of others, in accordance with the Miami Herald.
Anticipating his detainment, Guanipa declared that he could also be “unjustly imprisoned, but never defeated” in a pre-recorded message launched by the anti-Maduro camp after his arrest..
“Brothers and sisters, if you are seeing this, it is because I have been kidnapped by the forces of Nicolas Maduro’s regime,” the previous first vp of Venezuela’s parliament stated. “For months, I, like many Venezuelans, have been in hiding to maintain my safety.”
“Regrettably, my time in hiding has come to an end. As of today, I am part of the list of Venezuelans kidnapped by the dictatorship.”
The 5 opposition figures Rubio met with in Washington had been rescued from the authoritarian state earlier this month in a “precise operation” that introduced them to US soil.
That they had been residing within the Argentine ambassador’s residence in Venezuela’s capital metropolis of Caracas since March 2024 underneath risk of arrest in the event that they had been to go away.
“The Secretary commended these leaders for their bravery in the face of Maduro’s relentless repression and tyranny,” State Division spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated in an announcement. “[Rubio] expressed his gratitude to all involved in this operation and recognized the tenacity of Maria Corina Machado who remains in Venezuela.”
The US is amongst a number of nations that take into account Maduro’s management of Venezuela illegitimate, citing overwhelming proof that opposition determine Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia garnered way more votes than the dictator in final yr’s presidential election.
