leader Juan Pablo Guanipa kidnapped hours after his release from prison. Almost 12 hours after his release from prison in Venezuela, opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was “kidnapped” by “a group of armed individuals,” according to a social media post by his son, Ramon Guanipa. The message, posted on the opposition leader's official account, read: "It was a group of approximately 10 unidentified people (...). We demand immediate proof of life and his release." The post was quickly joined by Maria Corina Machado, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who also posted an alert on her account: "Juan Pablo Guanipa was kidnapped a few minutes ago in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas. Heavily armed men in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and violently took him away. We demand his immediate release."

Primero Justicia, Guanipa's party, also published a message on of the precautionary measure granted to citizen Juan Pablo Guanipa has been requested before the competent court due to the verification of non-compliance with the imposed conditions,” the statement reads, without clarifying the politician's whereabouts.

Although the conditions imposed on Guanipa for his release have not been reported, in most cases Venezuelan judges prohibit those granted such measures from making statements to the media or through their social networks, which the opposition leader did.

The Prosecutor's Office also adds that it had requested the court to place him “under house arrest.”

Release

Juan Pablo Guanipa,The 61-year-old, a close associate of Maria Corina Machado, had been released hours earlier after spending eight months in prison. His son, Ramon,confirmed the news on his social media account around noon local time: “I announce that my father, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was released minutes ago.” Shortly after, a video of Guanipa himself, now outside his cell, surfaced, in which he addressed his followers: "Here we are, being released after a year and ten months in hiding, almost nine months detained here. Today, we are being released. Much to discuss about the present and future of Venezuela. Always with the truth at the forefront." And although Guanipa's release was not the only one that occurred this Sunday, it was perhaps the most surprising, as he is a lawyer who was a member of the National Assembly (Parliament) and won the governorship of Zulia in the 2017 regional elections, but was never able to assume office. by refusing to recognize the Constituent Assembly that was then installed in the country.

According to the organization Foro Penal, this Sunday there were at least “35 releases of political prisoners and verified cases.” Of those people, at least six were part of Machado's campaign teams and commands.

The Arrest

Guanipa was arrested by Venezuelan authorities in May 2025, two days before the regional and legislative elections were held.

The Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, made the arrest public at a press conference in which he showed a video of the moment of the capture of the opposition member, who had been in hiding since the disputed presidential elections of July 2024.

In those elections, the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Nicolas Maduro the winner without publishing detailed data. In turn, the opposition denounced electoral fraud and displayed the voting records that validated the victory of their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.

Foro Penal detailed that at least 1,800 people were detained in the days following the 2024 elections.

When arresting Guanipa, Cabello specified at the time that 70 more people were apprehended as part of the so-called “Operation Tun Tun,” a security operation that the Venezuelan government has applied in previous years against politicians and those who accuse it of organizing “destabilizing acts.”

Other releases

Since the US attacked Venezuelan territory on January 3, Venezuelan authorities have released dozens of people.

More than 100 people died in the military intervention, according to figures from the Venezuelan government, and Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and remain in New York to be tried for drug trafficking.

Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said in recent days that more than 600 prisoners had been released from jails and police stations following the intervention, but Foro Penal says that figure has been inflated.

The same NGO reported that 158 ??detainees had been released as of January 8, and that another 110 suffered the same fate on January 26, to which 35 must be added this Sunday.

Among those released this Sunday are lawyer Perkins Rocha, from Machado's legal team and imprisoned since August 2024; Dignora Hernandez, political secretary of the Vente Venezuela party; Maria Oropeza, head of the ConVenezuela Command and coordinator of the opposition party Vente Venezuela in Portuguesa state; Luis Tarbay, coordinator of the command's international teams, and Catalina Ramos, national coordinator of citizen associations for the Vente Venezuela party.

The Guanipa case reveals that these releases cannot be considered liberations in the strict sense, because criminal proceedings against opposition members and dissidents continue, and at any moment the authorities can re-arrest them if they believe they violated the imposed conditions.

However, this could change if the Amnesty Law announced by Rodriguez is approved, which would effectively close the ongoing trials and investigations.

A decision that raises doubts about the control of Delcy Rodriguez's government

Norberto Paredes, BBC News Mundo in Caracas

The surprise release last Sunday of Juan Pablo Guanipa and other opposition figures was initially received by many Venezuelans as good news for democracy and freedom of expression.

It was also seen as another sign that the country is on the right track toward a democracy. transition.

But the celebration and hopes quickly faded.

After his release, Guanipa was intercepted and, according to his family, “kidnapped” by heavily armed civilians.

Shortly afterward, the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor's Office justified the measure by alleging a supposed “non-compliance” with the judicial conditions.

However, the release order—disseminated by his son, Ramon Guanipa—only stipulated every 30 days and a prohibition on leaving the country, conditions that could hardly have been violated.

The incident has fueled rumors about possible rifts within Chavismo. Guanipa's figure is particularly sensitive within the movement: he was a key player in the electoral logistics that challenged Nicolas Maduro's victory in 2024.

His immediate recapture raises a question about the extent to which Delcy Rodriguez controls the government and the country's institutions.

Was Guanipa's arrest a direct order from Rodriguez, or did another faction of power act autonomously?

If so,the official announcement of the measure's revocation could have been an attempt at "damage control" by the Executive Branch to project an image of unity and authority that, in reality, appears to be under siege.

The Guanipa case leaves an open question about the cohesion of Chavismo, and only time will tell if Rodriguez's command is absolute or if cracks in the control of the security agencies are already a reality.