A close ally of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was placed under house arrest on Tuesday, just hours after being freed from prison alongside other dissidents detained under the country’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Juan Pablo Guanipa, a 61-year-old former vice-president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, walked out of jail on Sunday after spending more than eight months behind bars on charges often used against government critics, including accusations of terrorism, money-laundering and inciting violence — allegations he has denied.
His release was part of a series of prisoner frees announced by interim leader Delcy Rodríguez following the dramatic removal of Maduro in a deadly US military raid in January.
During his brief period of freedom, Guanipa met with relatives of other political detainees, took part in a motorcycle caravan through Caracas, chanted slogans outside the notorious El Helicoide prison and called for new elections.
However, he was soon taken back into custody after prosecutors said he had breached the conditions of his parole. His son, Ramón Guanipa, posted on X that his father had been placed under house arrest in Maracaibo, in Venezuela’s northwest, and thanked the United States for its efforts supporting freedom in the country.
“My father remains unjustly imprisoned, because house arrest is still imprisonment, and we demand his full freedom and that of all political prisoners,” Ramón Guanipa wrote.
The re-arrest sparked an outcry from Machado’s camp, with the opposition leader saying Guanipa had been “kidnapped” by armed men shortly after his release. She and others have warned of serious consequences if harm comes to him.
The incident has sent a chill through those pushing for democratic reforms in Venezuela, including Machado, who is considering returning from exile in the United States.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s unicameral National Assembly was due to vote on an amnesty bill aimed at freeing political prisoners and those responsible for their detention during 27 years of rule under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez. However, a session scheduled for Tuesday was postponed, with no clarity on whether the bill will be taken up when the legislature reconvenes on Thursday.
About 40 relatives of political detainees protested outside the Assembly on Tuesday, demanding the amnesty be passed without delay. “Amnesty now!” they chanted as riot police looked on.
Critics of the draft law, including Andreina Baduel of the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners (Clippve), say it does not guarantee justice and that state repression persists with actions such as Guanipa’s re-arrest. She highlighted the ongoing pain of families whose loved ones remain behind bars.
By Monday, Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal reported that at least 426 people had been freed since the recent programme of releases began.
