Trump supports opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after Venezuela detention incident
Washington: After her aides said she was “intercepted” at a rally in Caracas, just before President Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado affirmed her safety, according to a CNN report.
Machado was “violently intercepted” on Thursday as she was leaving the protest, according to a statement from her political party on X.
Her team said in an update that she was compelled to film many recordings while in custody but was ultimately freed.
Late Thursday (local time), Machado issued a message on her X account saying she will provide more information later.
“Now that I’m safe, I’m more resolved than ever to stick with you through to the very end! I’ll tell you what happened today and what is ahead tomorrow. Venezuela will be liberated! Bravo to the courageous individuals.
“I’ve never been so proud to be Venezuelan,” she said. We are very grateful to all of the residents who walked to the streets on July 28th to own and declare our triumph.
President-elect Gonzalez and Maria Machado received support from US President-elect Donald Trump after the event. He demanded their protection and praised their attempts to reflect the desire of the Venezuelan people.
“With hundreds of thousands of people protesting against the regime, President-elect Gonzalez and Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado are peacefully expressing the voices and the will of the Venezuelan people,” Trump said in a statement. The wonderful Venezuelan American community firmly backed me and is in favor of a free Venezuela. These freedom warriors must remain safe and alive and should not be hurt.
As Maduro’s third term begins on Friday, after last year’s contentious presidential election, fear of repression in Venezuela has grown in recent days, CNN said.
The Venezuelan government, meanwhile, has disputed that Machado is being held.
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s interior minister, charged the opposition with “lying that the government had captured Maria Corina” for attention during a pro-government demonstration.
