Security chief of Venezuelan opposition leader arrested – JURIST

The security chief of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested on Wednesday, less than two weeks before the country’s presidential election, the political party Vente Venezuela said on X (formerly Twitter).

Milciades Ávila, the security chief of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, was arrested early this morning when government officials violently entered his residence, “disregarding all legal procedures.” Ávila was accused of committing gender-based violence against women who tried to attack Machado and opposition politician Edmundo González in the restaurant where they were eating last Saturday.

Machado highlighted her long-standing collaboration with Avila, saying he helped her on numerous occasions and risked his life to protect her. Machado also claims the arrest was part of a provocation by the regime to leave her defenseless before July 28. “I hold Nicolás Maduro responsible for the physical integrity of Milciades Avila and the other 24 people from our kidnapped teams who are now prisoners of tyranny,” she said in a post on X. González also condemned Avila’s detention in a video posted the same day.

Venezuela will hold presidential elections on July 28. President Nicolás Maduro is running for a third term. Most polls show González, who succeeded Machado after she was barred from running due to alleged electoral fraud, leading him by 20 percentage points.

Foro Penal, a non-governmental organization promoting and defending human rights, reported that so far in 2024 there have been 114 arbitrary detentions for political reasons in Venezuela, 102 of which involve the team of Maria Corina Machado and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. In total, 301 political prisoners have been registered in the country, including both military personnel and civilians.