The opposition party Sale Venezuela (VV) -led by former MP Maria Corina Machado– denounced on Tuesday the arrest of a local leader in the state of Anzoátegui (east) and demanded his “immediate release”.
Julio Itriago, coordinator of VV in the Anaco municipality of Anzoátegui, was arrested by “the repressive organs of the regime” – in reference to the government of Nicolás Maduro -, declared in X the Human Rights Committee of the formation , who called the event a “kidnapping.”
“We demand an end to the persecution and his immediate release. Playing politics is not a crime. Freedom for all political prisoners,” he expressed on this social network, where he shared a photo of Itriago.
🚨#Urgent | The repressive forces of the regime kidnapped Julio Itriago, coordinator of Vente Venezuela in the municipality of Anaco, state of Anzoátegui.
We demand an end to the persecution and his immediate release.
Freedom for all political prisoners. pic.twitter.com/E8LxF7k4fh
– Human Rights Vente Venezuela (@VenteDDHH) October 1, 2024
According to the VV Human Rights Committee, at least 151 opposition politicians and activists arrestedmany of whom are collaborators of Machado and the standard bearer of the largest anti-Chavista bloc – the United Democratic Platform (PUD) -, Edmundo González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.
Last Sunday, the majority opposition denounced the arrest of two members of Machado’s security team, including his “protection chief”, Milciades Ávila, who had already been imprisoned on July 17 and released 36 hours later , with precautionary measures, according to Efe.
For his part, Machado said, also in X, that he would not rest until he obtains the release of Ávila and Edwin Moya.
“I reiterate to their children and their partners that they must be very proud of them and I assure them that we will not rest until we bring them back free,” the former MP said at the time.
Maduro and his regime are committing another crime. They kidnapped two honest men, fathers of families, Milciades Ávila and Edwin Moya, whose task is to ensure our safety. Both assumed their responsibility in an exemplary manner, always aware of the risk…
– María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) September 29, 2024
Venezuela is going through a political crisis after the July 28 elections, in which President Nicolas Maduro He was proclaimed winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE), while the PUD insisted on the “victory” of its standard bearer.
The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission for Venezuela recently denounced that, in this context, The state “has intensified the harshest and most violent form of its apparatus of repression” to “dismantle and demobilize the opposition”, while “the main public authorities abandoned all appearance of independence and submitted” to the Executive.
