Juan Pablo Guanipa, a prominent Venezuelan opposition politician, has reportedly been kidnapped in the capital, Caracas. The news was shared by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on social media platform X. She stated that heavily armed men in civilian clothing executed the kidnapping, arriving in four vehicles to forcibly take Guanipa away. The incident allegedly took place in the Los Chorros area, and Machado has called for his immediate release, citing the severity of the situation.

Initially, there has been no confirmation from other sources regarding the kidnapping besides Machado. This abduction follows a recent statement from Guanipa's family, who announced his release after spending over eight months in prison. He was originally detained in May last year under allegations from Venezuela's interior minister that he had been leading a 'terror network.' His lengthy imprisonment had drawn international attention, and now this latest incident of kidnapping raises concerns about the safety of opposition figures in Venezuela.

Juan Pablo Guanipa has a history of political involvement, having served in parliament and working closely with Machado, a notable figure in the opposition who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. The rise in violent tactics against political opponents suggests a troubling trend in the country, reflecting an increasingly hostile environment for dissenting voices against the Venezuelan government, underscoring the urgent need for international intervention and dialogue to protect human rights in Venezuela.