Before the swearing in of left-wing authoritarian Maduro: Venezuelan opposition leader Machado arrested

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was in hiding for months, was arrested on Thursday after taking part in a protest rally. A member of her circle told the AFP news agency. Machado’s security team had recently announced on the online service X that the 57-year-old had been “violently stopped” as she left the rally in Caracas. Shots were also fired at their motorcycle convoy.

The demonstration in the Venezuelan capital was directed against the swearing in of the left-wing authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro for another term in office, which was planned for Friday. Machado had not been seen in public since August. She had announced her participation in the demonstration on Thursday in advance. She was greeted with applause by the demonstrators.

According to the official results, Maduro, who has been in office since 2013, won the presidential election at the end of July with 52 percent of the vote. However, the opposition denounces massive electoral fraud. Their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, an ally of Machado, claims the presidency for himself. González Urrutia ran after Machado was excluded from the election.

Only a few states have recognized Maduro’s victory, including Russia, which is allied with Venezuela. Maduro ignored allegations of electoral fraud and suppressed protests against his renewed term in office in recent months.