Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab asked a court on Monday to approve the rearrest of Juan Pablo Guanipa shortly after he was kidnapped by “heavily armed men” in Caracas, as claimed by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The abduction was announced by Machado shortly after Guanipa was released from prison on Sunday. The Venezuelan lawyer and opposition figure was among nearly three dozen political prisoners who were freed, but he found himself detained again less than 12 hours after his release.
“Just a few minutes ago, Juan Pablo Guanipa was kidnapped in the Los Chorros urbanization in Caracas,” Machado posted on X. “Heavily armed men, dressed in civilian clothes, arrived in 4 vehicles and violently took him away. We demand his immediate release.”
Saab’s office later announced it had “requested the competent court to revoke the precautionary measure granted to Juan Pablo Guanipa, due to his non-compliance with the conditions imposed by the aforementioned court.” The attorney general’s office did not specify what the conditions were but noted the government was seeking house arrest for Machado’s ally.
As of Monday morning, Guanipa’s condition and whereabouts are unknown.
Ramon Guanipa Linares said on social media his father was kidnapped by a “group of approximately 10 unidentified people.” Linares demanded “immediate proof of life” in addition to his release.
International outrage followed over Guanipa’s detainment, with many U.S. lawmakers presuming Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez’s government carried out the operation.
“Where is Juan Pablo Guanipa?” Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) asked on X.
“This is the dictatorship’s playbook: kidnap, intimidate, and silence anyone who dares to speak the truth. A cowardly act that confirms the repression in Venezuela has not stopped for a single moment,” Salazar said. “Every hour without answers further exposes the brutality of a regime that fears its own people and sustains itself through persecution and terror. Juan Pablo Guanipa must be released immediately and unconditionally.”
Rodriguez assumed control over Venezuela after the U.S. military captured former dictator Nicolas Maduro and brought him to New York to face federal charges for narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.
The acting president has tried to cooperate with the Trump administration, but lawmakers claim she is employing the same authoritarian tactics as Maduro.
“Maduro’s thuggish regime has once again wrongfully taken [Guanipa] captive, just hours after his release,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote on X. “Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello must IMMEDIATELY RELEASE JUAN PABLO GUANIPA, and ensure every political prisoner is free to live without oppression. The U.S. is watching.”
Venezuela released at least 35 political prisoners on Sunday, according to human rights group Foro Penal. The group estimated another 383 political prisoners had been freed since the Venezuelan government began its series of prison releases last month due to pressure from the United States.
Venezuelan authorities arrested Guanipa in May based on Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello’s claims that he was involved in a “terror” plot targeting the country’s elections. Guanipa denied the allegations.
VENEZUELA OPPOSITION FIGURE KIDNAPPED HOURS AFTER RELEASE FROM PRISON
Hours before Guanipa was kidnapped, Machado indicated she was looking forward to reuniting.
“My dear Juan Pablo, counting the minutes until I can hug you!” she said. “You are a hero and history will ALWAYS recognize it. Freedom for ALL political prisoners!!”