Juan Pablo Guanipa, a notable opposition leader in Venezuela, has been reported as kidnapped by armed individuals in Caracas just hours following his release from detention.
María Corina Machado, another leading opposition figure, claimed on Sunday that Guanipa was forcibly abducted shortly after being freed from detention, highlighting serious concerns regarding the safety of political opponents in the nation.
Machado reported that Guanipa, who heads the centre-right Justice First party and previously served as vice-president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, was taken in the Los Chorros area of Caracas. She shared on social media early Monday that heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothing arrived in multiple vehicles and seized him.
According to Foro Penal, a Venezuelan organization providing legal support to detainees, Guanipa had spent eight months in prison before being released alongside other political prisoners on Sunday. His return had prompted a moment of joy within his family, with his son Ramón announcing online that they would soon be together again.
Justice First described Guanipa’s abduction as an act involving what they termed the "repressive forces of the dictatorship" during an incident while he was on the move. Eyewitness reports indicated that firearms were drawn on those accompanying him before he was compelled into a vehicle and driven away.
The party has held high-ranking government officials accountable for his well- being, explicitly naming Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello, and cautioned that they would bear responsibility for any harm that might come to him. They also called on the global community to advocate for Guanipa’s immediate release and to address the systemic persecution faced by opposition members.
Elected as the governor of Venezuela’s oil-rich Zulia region in 2017, Guanipa was barred from taking up his position after he refused to pledge loyalty to the pro-government National Constituent Assembly. Following accusations of terrorism and treason due to his challenge of the 2024 election results, he subsequently went into hiding.
After being located, he was apprehended by security forces in May 2025. The recent events of his temporary release and subsequent kidnapping have escalated fears among opposition groups and human rights advocates, who claim that the regime of President Nicolás Maduro has consistently employed detainment and intimidation tactics to silence dissent and stifle criticism.
The Venezuelan government has yet to issue a statement regarding the allegations of Guanipa’s kidnapping.
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