Overview

• Juan Pablo Guanipa, a prominent opposition leader and ally of Maria Corina Machado, was arrested on charges of terrorism and sabotage ahead of Venezuela's May 2025 parliamentary and regional elections.
• Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused Guanipa of leading a terrorist network planning to disrupt the elections, citing alleged evidence found on his electronic devices.
• Opposition leaders, including Machado, condemned the arrest as state terrorism and part of a broader crackdown aimed at silencing dissent and consolidating President Nicolás Maduro's power.
• The opposition has called for a boycott of the elections, arguing they lack transparency and are designed to reinforce Maduro's authoritarian rule following the disputed 2024 presidential election.
• This arrest is the latest in a series of repressive measures by Maduro's regime, which has targeted opposition figures with arrests, exile, and accusations of foreign-backed coup plots.