Caracas - Venezuelan opposition leader
Juan Guaido said on Thursday intelligence agents had detained
his chief of staff following a pre-dawn raid, signaling that
President Nicolas Maduro may be cracking down on the
opposition's challenge to his rule.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a post on Twitter on
Thursday, called for Roberto Marrero's immediate release and
said "we will hold accountable those involved." The United
States has repeatedly warned Maduro not to move against Guaido.
Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume the
interim presidency after declaring Maduro's 2018 re-election a
fraud, and has been recognized by dozens of Western nations as
the country's legitimate leader.
Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of the OPEC
nation's economy, has called Guaido a puppet of the United
States and said he should "face justice," but has not explicitly
ordered his arrest.
"They have kidnapped @Robertomarrero, my chief of staff,"
Guaido said in a post on Twitter, adding the Caracas residences
of Marrero and opposition legislator Sergio Vergara had been
raided before dawn. "We do not know their whereabouts. They
should be freed immediately."
"Look after the president," Marrero said in a voice message
sent to reporters by Guaido's press team, as he reported that
agents were trying to enter his house. The press team also sent
a video of another opposition lawmaker showing damage to the
door of Marrero's home and a broken lock.
"The United States condemns raids by Maduro's security
services and detention of Roberto Marrero," Pompeo said on
Twitter.
Venezuela's Information Ministry did not immediately respond
to a request for comment.
Dozens of countries including the United States, major
European powers and most South American nations have backed
Guaido and say Maduro's rule is illegitimate.
Maduro says his government is the victim of an "economic
war" led by his political adversaries and blames US financial
and oil sector sanctions for the country's situation.
Guaido travelled around South America in February to drum up
diplomatic support for his government, defying a travel ban
imposed by the pro-government Supreme Court. He later entered
the country via Venezuela's principal airport without being
detained by immigration officials.
Since January, Venezuelan authorities have arrested over
1 000 people in connection with anti-government demonstrations,
rights groups say.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday
that Venezuelan security forces, backed by pro-government
militias, have quashed peaceful protests with the excessive use
of force, killings and torture.
Venezuela is reeling from annual inflation topping 2 million
percent, which has fueled malnutrition and preventable disease
and spurred an exodus of more than 3 million citizens in since
2015.