Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was briefly detained during an antigovernment protest in Caracas on Thursday, according to a statement on X by her political aide.
Machado, a staunch critic of the country’s autocratic president, Nicolas Maduro, was swiftly released after what her party described as a violent confrontation with government security force, The New York Times reports.
Machado, who had been living in hiding due to threats of arrest from the Maduro regime, made her first public appearance since August during Thursday’s protest, held just one day before Maduro is set to be sworn in for his third presidential term.
Machado had called for nationwide demonstrations and international gatherings to protest the inauguration, which many opposition members, as well as the United States and other countries, claim is illegitimate.
Thousands of supporters braved the risk of government retaliation to attend the event in Caracas, where Machado stood atop a truck, leading chants of “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” Shortly after the demonstration, Machado was intercepted by regime forces while leaving the gathering on a motorbike.
Magalli Meda, a political aide to Machado, added further details, saying that firearms were discharged during the event, and that Machado was forcefully taken away by unknown individuals.
Meda confirmed that during her brief detention, Machado was forced to record several videos before being released. The details of her detention, including the identity of those responsible, remain unclear.
Venezuela’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, dismissed the allegations of Machado’s capture as “a lie” during a television interview, accusing the opposition of fabricating the incident to gain attention.
The opposition has accused Maduro of stealing the country’s most recent election, claiming that the true victor was Edmundo González, a former diplomat and ally of Machado, who has been living in exile since September.
In her speech before the gathering, Machado expressed confidence in the opposition’s growing momentum, vowing that “this force that we have built and that grows every day has prepared us for this final phase.”
“Whatever they do tomorrow,” she added, referring to Maduro’s upcoming inauguration, “they’ve just buried themselves!”
Approximately 2,000 people have been detained in Venezuela since the disputed July 28 election, including González’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, and Carlos Correa, the director of the nonprofit organization Espacio Público.
Machado is expected to address the nation in the coming hours to explain the circumstances surrounding her brief detention.
