- The leader described the events as an “attack” once morest her
Maria Corina Machado, opposition leader and coordinator of the political party Vente Venezuela, reported on Thursday, July 18 that unknown persons vandalized her team’s vehicles when she was in Barquisimeto, Lara state.
The leader showed images of the damage caused by paint. In addition, Machado indicated that one of the vehicles had its engine oil emptied and another had its brake hose cut, which she described as an attack once morest her.
“This morning, an attack was committed once morest me and my team. Agents of the regime followed us from Portuguesa and surrounded the housing estate where we spent the night. Maduro’s campaign is violence and is responsible for any damage to our physical integrity,” Machado wrote on his official X account (Twitter).
The incident occurred when they were in Lara state following a political activity in Guanare, Portuguesa state.
Maria Corina Machado explained that, on their return from the rally in Guanare, they stayed in a private residential area and, the following morning, continued on their way to Caracas. The leader said that they were followed by “government agents” from Portuguesa.
In the images posted on X, it can be seen that the vehicles were vandalized with grey paint in areas such as the windshield and windows. Those responsible also wrote the message “No more blockade”, a quote used by sectors of the government to refer to opposition representatives who had called for “blockades” once morest the country.
“It is clear that the brake hoses were cut, which is clearly an attack on the lives of those of us who use these vehicles. This is happening 10 days before the presidential elections,” Machado said in the video in which he warns regarding the situation.
#18Jul | 🚨 The opposition leader @MariaCorinaYA He reported that his team’s vehicles were vandalized while they were spending the night in Barquisimeto, Lara state.
Machado explained that those responsible painted the trucks, cut the brake lines and drained the oil from the… pic.twitter.com/oOStK8C1SN
— The Daily (@eldiario) July 18, 2024
Arrests once morest the Vente Venezuela team
María Corina Machado denounced that her team and people linked to her political cause have been victims of an escalation of repression by the Venezuelan government just days before the presidential elections, scheduled for July 28.
Vente Venezuela warned on Monday, July 17 that state security officials arrested the head of protection of the opposition leader, Milciades Avilawhen he was at home.
Machado took to social media to say that Ávila has been part of her team for 10 years. She added that she has accompanied her on tours in the interior of the country and specified that she has risked her life to defend her.
Ávila has reportedly been accused of gender violence for the events that took place on Saturday, July 13, when a group of pro-government women approached a business in La Encrucijada, Aragua state, to insult Machado and the candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.
The leader of Vente Venezuela denied the alleged crime charged to her head of protection and claimed that there are witnesses and videos that prove that the acts of aggression were a “planned” action.
“This morning (Ávila) was kidnapped by the regime. I hold Nicolás Maduro responsible for his physical integrity and that of the other 24 people from our teams who were kidnapped and are now prisoners of the tyranny,” the leader wrote on her X account.
Increase in politically motivated arrests in Venezuela
On July 16, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Foro Penal warned regarding a Increase in the registration of political prisoners in Venezuela. Alfredo Romero, president of the NGO, indicated that there are 301 people detained for this reason in the country.
Romero said that at least 102 of the arrests of citizens are related to María Corina Machado’s team.
“This week, 11 people were arrested, which is a significant number, and it seems that the arrests will continue,” Romero said at a press conference offered to the media.
The lawyer said that of the 301 political prisoners, 93 have not completed their judicial proceedings and are awaiting possible preventive measures for freedom.
Romero clarified that, of the total number of political prisoners in the country, there are currently 152 military personnel and 149 civilians. Of this number, 27 are women and 274 are men.
Foro Penal stressed that those who imprison them in this way have their human rights violated.
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2024-07-18 20:37:53
