Political repression in Venezuela not only continues but is growing rapidly. The regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro, through his attorney general, Tarek William Saab, ordered the arrest of almost all of María Corina Machado's team, the primary opponent of the South American country.
In total, Maduro's tyranny ordered nine arrests against important members of the Vente Venezuela Party, the political group led by Machado.
The arrest warrants were against Henry Alviarez, Dignorah Hernández, Oswaldo Bracho, Pedro Urruchurtu, Omar González, Humberto Villalobos, Claudia Macero, Fernando Martínez Mottola and Magalli Meda, who serves as head of the national command.
The orders against Alviarez, the organizational coordinator of Vente Venezuela, and Hernández, a senior leader of the same party, have already been carried out.
In a video that circulated on social media, the moment of Hernández's illegal detention was captured. He asked for "help, please" just before being kidnapped by regime officials.
#ÚLTIMAHORA | Imágenes impactantes: el momento en el que agentes del régimen de Nicolás Maduro secuestran a un miembro del equipo de la líder opositora @MariaCorinaYA en #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/VNYhMGO3G2
— VOZ (@VozMediaUSA) March 20, 2024
With the arrests of Alviarez and Hernández, there are now eight leaders of Vente Venezuela who were unlawfully detained by the Maduro dictatorship.
After the arrests of Alviarez and Hernández, Saab confirmed that the orders arose from the alleged confession of Vente Venezuela member Emilio Brandt Ulloa, arrested on March 8.
According to Saab, Machado's team was orchestrating a plan to destabilize the country through violent protests that would begin in the state of Barinas.
"These two people have been arrested in relation to everything that Emill Brandt Ulloa has confessed," the Chavista prosecutor said at a press conference. Now don't come and say that they were both pacifists marching with a flower in Plaza Bolívar. Quite the opposite."
After the two arrests, agents from the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), Maduro's Police, moved to Macado's campaign headquarters to intimidate and surround the place.
From there, Machado gave a press conference in which she condemned the arbitrary arrests of part of her team and maintained a solid message that she would continue on the "electoral route," referring to the Venezuelan presidential "elections" without guarantees that they would be carried out next July 28.
"Everything that the terror prosecutor of the Public Ministry said is false. Everything is a lie," said Machado, denying the official version of the Maduro regime. "Venezuelans, the international community and the regime know well what we are up to. They follow all our steps. We are organizing a country to advance on an electoral route in which we will defeat Nicolás Maduro. They know".
"They have attacked exemplary Venezuelans. Citizens with whom I feel lucky to have met. People I respect and admire for their dedication. If the regime believes that with these actions, they are going to leave us alone, let's be clear: our team is Venezuela," continued the opposition leader, who later referred to Brandt's forced confession.
"I want you to question what treatment Emil Brandt received for saying what he said. And I want to tell Emil that I trust him. To Emil and all the persecuted: this fight is urgent because we have you. We are going to free them," Machado said.
Finally, answering the journalists' questions, Machado sent a message to the United States, the European Union and the organizations that, in theory, defend democracy worldwide: "And I ask, what is the international community going to do? That is also the question. We expect much more from the international community than good wishes."
Machado, politically disqualified by the Maduro regime, has not yet been able to register for the presidential elections, which has generated strong questions about the process.
Following the arrests of Alviarez and Hernández, Brian A. Nichols, undersecretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department, condemned the arrest warrants and the kidnapping of Machado's team.
"We condemn the arbitrary arrests and warrants issued today for members of the democratic opposition in Venezuela," Nichols wrote. "Maduro's escalating attacks on civil society and political actors are totally inconsistent with Barbados Accord commitments but will not stifle the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people. We call for the immediate release of these individuals and all those unjustly detained."
We condemn the arbitrary arrests and warrants issued today for members of the democratic opposition in Venezuela. Maduro’s escalating attacks on civil society and political actors are totally inconsistent with Barbados Accord commitments but will not stifle the democratic…
— Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) March 20, 2024
Meanwhile, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the illegal Congress controlled by Chavistas, threatened in inclusive language to create a "draconian law" to imprison dissent.
"Venezuelans have the duty to honor and defend the homeland, not to ask for invasions by foreign armies. We will work for a severe, draconian law that punishes traitors. Sooner rather than later, jail awaits you!" Rodríguez said.
L@s venezolan@s tienen el deber de honrar y defender la patria, no de pedir invasiones de ejércitos extranjeros. Trabajaremos una ley severa, draconiana que castigue a las traidoras y los traidores. ¡Más temprano que tarde, será la cárcel la que l@s espera! pic.twitter.com/UWXPKyUKXW
— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) March 20, 2024
