Leading Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa has reportedly been “kidnapped” by gunmen in Caracas just hours after his release from prison.
Guanipa, a prominent leader of the conservative Primero Justicia party, was among several high-profile political prisoners released on Sunday in what political allies described as a renewed push by authorities to meet US demands to release those held for political reasons. His family and opposition leaders say he was later detained by unidentified assailants in the capital’s Los Chorros neighborhood.
John Pablo Guanpa “Separate by force” in Caracas, opposition says
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Guanipa was abducted by a group of men late Sunday night.
“Heavily armed men in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force,” she said on X.
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In a video posted on social media, Guanipo’s son Ramón described the alleged abduction in stark terms, claiming his father was attacked at the event shortly before midnight.
In a video on social media, Guanipo’s son Ramón said his father was at the event at 11:45 p.m. when he was “assaulted by approximately 10 agents who had no identification.”
“They pointed guns at them, they were heavily armed and they took my father,” he said, before demanding proof that his father was still alive.
WHO IS JOHN PABULA GUANPIA?
Juan Pablo Guanipa is a Venezuelan lawyer and longtime opposition politician who has played a prominent role in the country’s decades-long confrontation between government and anti-government forces.
He served as first vice-president of the National Assembly of Venezuela and as a member of parliament representing the state of Zulia, and was a key figure in Primero Justicia (Justice First), one of the main opposition parties.
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Guanipio’s national profile rose further in 2017 when he was elected governor of Zulia – a result that was later annulled after he refused to take the oath required by the government-aligned Constituent Assembly.
He also briefly sought a presidential bid before his party decided to boycott the 2018 elections, a move taken amid accusations that the electoral process lacked basic fairness.
Guanipa, released from prison, wrote: “Today we are released”
Guanipa was arrested in May 2025 following accusations by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello that he was involved in an alleged “terrorist” plot linked to regional and legislative elections. The claims were made without evidence and Guanipa has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
He spent more than eight months in custody before being released on Sunday night.
Shortly after leaving a detention center in Caracas, he posted a message online saying: “Today we are released. Much to discuss about the present and the future of Venezuela, always with the truth in the foreground.”
Primero Justicia accuses high officials of any harm to Guanipa
After the reported abduction, Guanipa’s party blamed the government and warned that senior officials would be held accountable for any violence against him.
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The Guanipa party Primero Justicia accused the Caracas regime of being behind the kidnapping. “We hold (Interim President) Delcy Rodríguez, (National Assembly President) Jorge Rodríguez and (Interior Minister) Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to the life of Juan Pablo,” the statement on X said.
The Venezuelan government has not publicly responded to the claims of the opposition and Guanipo’s family.
Political prisoners have been released in Venezuela under “amnesty” plans.
Guanipa’s release came as part of a wider set of prisoner releases that opposition leaders and rights groups say have accelerated in recent days – although they dispute the government’s characterization of the process.
Human rights group Foro Penal said it confirmed that at least 30 political prisoners were released on Sunday, according to the group’s director, Alfredo Romero. Those freed include lawyer Perkins Rocha, Luis Somaza of the People’s Will party and activist Jesús Armas.
Rocha was released under strict restrictions, according to his wife María Constanza.
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Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have long accused the country’s authoritarian government of arbitrary arrests to silence dissent. Foro Penal estimates that hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars.
The government denies holding the detainees for political reasons and insists that those imprisoned have committed crimes.
Jorge Rodríguez promised that “all detainees” would be released by February 13
The reported kidnapping also raised questions about a recent pledge by National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, who told relatives of the prisoners that the releases would continue.
Sunday’s release comes days after the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, promised relatives of political prisoners that “all those detained” would be released.
Rodríguez said the process will be completed “at the latest” on Friday, February 13.
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His remarks came as the incumbent Socialist government introduced an amnesty bill that officials say could lead to the mass release of prisoners – including some held since Hugo Chávez came to power in 1999 – as the first step in what authorities describe as national reconciliation.
Human rights organizations question the pace of the release of Venezuelan prisoners
Although the government announced the release of a “significant number of people”, rights and family groups say the pace has been slow and uneven.
Foro Penal said more than 380 people have been released so far, while the government says the number exceeds 800.
In this context, the alleged kidnapping of Guanipa has emerged as a new flashpoint – with opposition figures warning that it may signal continued repression, even as the state presents the release as evidence of reform.
