MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Maduro's police arrest the Venezuelan Parliament vice president after the failed military uprising

“We alert the people of Venezuela and the international community: The regime kidnapped the first vice president of the National Assembly”, Juan Guaido said

The intelligence of Nicolás Maduro's regime detained Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela, on Wednesday, after having supported the military uprising on April 30 against the authoritarian mandatory in the framework of the final phase of Operation Freedom, led by Parliament’s president, Juan Guaidó.

Bolivarian Intelligence Service’s (Sebin) officers brought the parliamentarian's van to a crane to be moved to one of its buildings in Caracas. Neightbors of the sector came out in protest against this new attack on opposition spokespersons.

“We alert the people of Venezuela and the international community: The regime kidnapped the first vice president of the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano. They try to disintegrate the power that represents all Venezuelans, but they will not achieve it,” wrote the president of the Parliament and declared by the same institution as President in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, on Twitter.

Alertamos al pueblo de Venezuela y la comunidad internacional:

El régimen secuestró al primer vicepresidente de la @AsambleaVE @edgarzambranoad.

Intentan desintegrar el poder que representa a todos los venezolanos, pero no lo van a lograr. pic.twitter.com/pA7vvV2nbu

— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) May 8, 2019

In previous days, the Supreme Court of Justice issued a ruling asking the pro-government illegitimate National Constituent Assembly (ANC) to grant parliamentary immunity to 7 deputies of the Venezuelan congress for their alleged participation in the violent events of April 30.

In the same way, the deputy of the Venezuelan parliament Angel Medina, said that deputies Edgar Zambrano and Luis Florido, not only have parliamentary immunity for belonging to the National Assembly, but also have regional immunity for being members of Parlatino.

Apart from what Ángel Medina says, Zambrano also has a protective measure of the Inter-Parliamentary Union since 2017, recognized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The number two of the Chavismo, Diosdado Cabello, confirmed in his TV program “Con el mazo dando” the arrest and said that Zambrano had US$ 9,000 in cash with him. He also pointed to three deputies “who participated actively in the coup”, suggesting that they could be the next detainees. “They believe that there will be no justice here, there will be justice here,” he continued before ensuring that the authorities will respect their rights. “These actions of justice are actions that moralize our people,” he said.

For its part, the US Embassy in Caracas called for the release of the vice president of Parliament and said that if this does not occur, “there will be consequences.” “The arbitrary detention of Deputy Edgar Zambrano by the oppressive security forces of Maduro in Venezuela is illegal and inexcusable, and Maduro and his accomplices are directly responsible for Zambrano's security,” the American embassy explained.