Elections: Wave of arrests before elections in Venezuela

The authoritarian government in Venezuela is hard against their opponents before the regional and parliamentary elections on Sunday after the opposition. Over 50 politicians, activists and journalists were arrested at a raid, including former MP Juan Pablo Guanipa, said opposition leader María Corina Machado on the news platform X.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the arrest of Guanipa at a press conference. The opposition politician is the boss of a group who had planned terrorist attacks to disturb the elections, said the minister. According to his information, more than 70 conspirators have been arrested in the past few days who had planned explosive attacks on messages, hospitals, police guards and substations. In addition, explosives, detonators, deployment plans and other evidence were ensured.

Opposition leader: “Venezuela will be free”

President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian government regularly announces that they have uncovered conspiracies and overthrow plans. As a rule, she does not provide evidence of this. “This is pure and hard state terrorism,” wrote opposition leader Machado on X. “Venezolans, are clear about it: This is not for nothing that we will chase away the regime. Venezuela will be free.”

The opposition has called the boycott of the parliamentary and regional elections next Sunday because it does not expect free and fair coordination. In a controversial election, head of state Maduro had been confirmed in office last year. At that time, the opposition claimed victory for itself and accused the government.