Venezuela Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Arrested at Anti-Maduro Rally

Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, has reportedly been detained and later released by government officials in Caracas according to her team. Her allies claim she was “kidnapped” after leaving her hiding place to lead a large protest against President Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro plans to begin his third term as president on Friday, although many countries do not recognize the election results his regime produced after last year’s election. Maduro’s government has not provided solid proof of his win, while Machado’s group has shared detailed vote counts suggesting their candidate, Edmundo González, was the real winner.

!! https://t.co/jOfFM11fR9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2025

Nationwide protests against Maduro

On Thursday, January 9, thousands of protesters marched in cities across Venezuela. They opposed Maduro’s upcoming inauguration, responding to calls from Machado, who went into hiding after the election on July 28, 2024, to avoid arrest.

After spending over 133 days in hiding, Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado, 57, publicly appeared on Thursday afternoon in Caracas before being detained. She stood before a large crowd of protesters, climbing onto a truck to lead chants of “We are not afraid.”

This was the moment when opposition leader and future VP of Venezuela María Corina Machado appeared by surprise on the streets of Caracas during today’s protest after more than 4 months of hiding risking arrest by the dictatorship. #9ELlegoLaHoraVzla pic.twitter.com/zH2ja4axud

— Michael Welling (@WellingMichael) January 9, 2025

Machado delivered a powerful speech to the crowd before leaving the rally. However, her representatives reported she was “violently intercepted” soon after. According to their statement, government officials opened fire on the motorbikes transporting her away from the event.

Journalists and experts react

Carla Angola, a well-known Venezuelan journalist, shared on X, “The regime has kidnapped María Corina.”

Another journalist, Luz Mely Reyes, revealed that before being taken, Machado instructed her team “not to negotiate her freedom.”

Phil Gunson, a Caracas-based analyst with Crisis Group, confirmed her detention. “We know for certain that she has been carted off,” he said, adding that reports indicate at least one person was shot during the operation.

VENEZUELA: opposition reports that opposition leader María Corina Machado was violently arrested.

She was addressing a massive crowd speaking out against the coward socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/4SBsZRmhtS

— Students For Liberty (@sfliberty) January 9, 2025

Gunson noted that for years, Maduro’s government avoided detaining Machado. Officials seemed to view her as an “irritant” but feared that arresting her could boost her popularity. However, her public appearance at Thursday’s protest in Caracas appears to have shifted that strategy.

“She made them look ridiculous today. They swamped the city with police and military and the colectivos (pro-regime motorbike gangs) and she appeared at the rally and just thumbed her nose at them basically. I think that was a step too far,” Gunson said. “She knew that this could happen … she was prepared for it – and they have taken the bait.”

Widespread international criticism

Machado’s detention has drawn widespread international criticism. Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, posted on social media, “The dictatorial regime is responsible for her life.”

Former Colombian President Iván Duque condemned the arrest, calling it “yet another demonstration of the vileness of the cowardly dictator Maduro.”

​Edmundo González​ wrote on social media: “As president-elect, I demand the liberation of María Corina Machado [who was] kidnapped by Venezuelan security forces. To the security corps ​who kidnapped her, I say: do not play with fire.”