The socialist Nicolás Maduro regime arrested a former top political opposition leader on Monday and surrounded the home of Venezuelan opposition chief Juan Guaidó.
“Guaidó, who spoke to journalists after the government agents left, confirmed that [former opposition deputy Freddy] Guevara was forced to get out of his vehicle at the Prados del Este highway in the country’s capital and that the opposition did not know where he is,” the Miami Herald reported. “The raids were carried out just as the United States announced that it was lifting some of its sanctions on the Venezuelan regime.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) noted that the Biden administration had just lifted some sanctions on the socialist regime, tweeting: “At the very moment the #MaduroRegime was abducting one prominent member of the opposition & surrounding the home of @jguaido trying to abduct him the Biden Administration was announcing it was removing a sanction on the regime in #Venezuela.”
At the very moment the #MaduroRegime was abducting one prominent member of the opposition & surrounding the home of @jguaido trying to abduct him the Biden Administration was announcing it was removing a sanction on the regime in #Venezuela https://t.co/BvDGEYJ8gy pic.twitter.com/WXO3wtdAP8
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 12, 2021
Guaido said that the armed men who surrounded his home detonated an explosive and threatened him with arrest. “I don’t know the whereabouts of Freddy Guevara,” said Guaido, who is recognized by the U.S. as Venezuela’s legitimate president. “He is missing at this time.”
Julie Chung, acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said in a statement that political prisoners needed to be released.
Reuters reported:
Guaido’s office circulated two videos which they said showed the incident in Guaido’s basement. The videos show at least two men with bulletproof vests and balaclavas approaching a car, pointing assault rifles. Guaido is sat in the passenger seat. One of the men opens the driver’s door and forces the driver onto the ground, yelling “Get out!,” the videos show. Venezuela’s information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
“We strongly condemn the arrest of Venezuelan Congressman @FreddyGuevaraC and threats against Interim President @jguaido in Venezuela,” Chung said. “We urge the international community to join us in condemning these acts and demanding the release of all those detained for political reasons.”
Rubio said on Twitter that the events in Venezuela were “not a coincidence” and were “directly linked to the protests in Cuba & fear of it spreading to Venezuela.”
A day after protests began in #Cuba against Maduro’s puppetmasters #Maduro regime abducted a top opposition leader @FreddyGuevaraC & now is pursuing @jguaido as well.
All interrelated. #SOSCuba #SOSVenezuela https://t.co/P5SlTJDMFd
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 12, 2021
Images of Maduro thugs in the garage of the building where @jguaido lives. His wife reports they have come to abduct him.
This is no coincidence, this is directly related to ongoing events in #Cuba #Venezuela https://t.co/lWCXercFtn
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 12, 2021
The move by Venezuela’s socialist government comes after pro-freedom demonstrators protested Cuba’s communist government on Sunday, demanding an end to the oppressive far-left regime as the people suffer from poverty and a lack of freedom.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed during Monday’s press briefing that the protests that erupted were “spontaneous expressions” from people upset with Cuba’s “economic mismanagement.”
“Well, I will say first, and I meant to say this in response to Jonathan, but there’s every indication that yesterday’s protests were spontaneous expressions of people who were exhausted with the Cuban government’s economic mismanagement, and repression,” Psaki said. “And those, these are protests inspired by the harsh reality of everyday life in Cuba, not people in another country. I’m saying that because I think there have been a range of accusations out there, as you well know.”