MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa arrested ahead of Sunday elections

A lawyer and former member of the Parliament, Guanipa has long been a prominent voice within the Venezuelan opposition. In recent months, he had frequently appeared alongside Machado at rallies

Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa, a close ally of presidential candidate María Corina Machado, was arrested by government forces on Friday, just two days before the country’s regional and legislative elections.

“In the early hours of the morning, we captured one of the leaders of this sinister terrorist group (…) Juan Pablo Guanipa,” said Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello during a press conference. Cabello accused Guanipa of being part of a “terrorist network” and presented a video of the arrest.

URGENTE: La tiranía chavista secuestró al dirigente opositor Juan Pablo Guanipa, uno de los principales aliados de la líder María Corina Machado. pic.twitter.com/ww09SXjtg2

— Gabriel Bastidas (@Gbastidas) May 23, 2025

Guanipa had been in hiding since the contested July 28 presidential election, after the opposition presented evidence they said proved victory for their candidate, Edmundo González, and alleged widespread fraud.

Following his arrest, a message was posted to Guanipa’s social media account: “Brothers, if you’re reading this, it’s because I have been kidnapped by Nicolás Maduro’s regime.” The post continued, “My time in hiding has come to an end. I don’t know what will happen to me in the coming hours, days, or weeks.”

A lawyer and former member of the National Assembly, Guanipa has long been a prominent voice within the Venezuelan opposition. In recent months, he had frequently appeared alongside Machado at rallies and protests calling for electoral transparency.

President Nicolás Maduro also claimed on Friday that another group of alleged “terrorists” had been arrested as the government wrapped up its campaign for the May 25 vote.

Maduro’s administration has faced international criticism for its arrests of political opponents, activists, and ordinary citizens. Following last year’s presidential vote—declared fraudulent by much of the opposition—nationwide protests resulted in at least 28 deaths, 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests, according to Venezuela’s Public Prosecutor’s Office. Of those detained, approximately 2,000 have since been released.

The arrest has deepened divisions within the opposition, with factions now debating whether to participate in Sunday’s elections amid an increasingly repressive political climate.