Venezuela’s most influential opposition leader, María Corina Machado, was “kidnapped” in Caracas by regime officials, her allies allege. She was reportedly “violently intercepted” after coming out of hiding to lead protest against the country’s president Nicolás Maduro. Despite widespread suspicions that he rigged the Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, Maduro is set to be sworn in for his third term on Friday. Meanwhile, Machado’s opposition movement has published voting tallies contradicting Maduro’s claim to power. On Thursday, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in cities across the country in protests organized by Machado. She went into hiding in late July, shortly after the vote, reappearing Thursday afternoon to speak to protestors. After her speech, her spokespeople claim “Regime officials opened fire on the motorbikes that were transporting her.” Several prominent Venezuelan journalists circulated the allegations and Panama’s president slammed her disappearance on X. “The dictatorial regime is responsible for her life,” he wrote.
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