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Venezuela's opposition decry arrests ahead of anti-Maduro protests

The government is investigating major opposition leaders for alleged conspiracy

Venezuelan opposition parties and NGOs decried the arrests of a prominent press freedom activist and a well-known opposition figure, among others, ahead of planned protests against Friday's inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for his third term.

The opposition Popular Will party said on X late on Tuesday that at least 19 people had been detained nationwide in what it termed a "worsening of persecution and repression" by the Maduro government.

Neither the Communications Ministry nor the attorney general's office immediately responded to a request for comment about the latest arrests.

The government is investigating major opposition leaders for alleged conspiracy, among other charges, and has repeatedly accused them of inciting violence on their claims of victory in July's presidential election.

The opposition has published ballot box-level tallies that it says show a resounding victory for its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who is now on a regional tour to promote the opposition's cause and who is recognized by various countries, including the United States, as president-elect.

Gonzalez visited Panama on Wednesday and the opposition said its copies of the tallies will be stored there, in a vault at the country's central bank.

The electoral authority and Venezuela's top court say Maduro won, but have not published detailed tallies.

Gonzalez, 75, said his son-in-law was kidnapped on Tuesday while taking his children to school.

The government, which has repeatedly accused the opposition of plotting with foreign governments to commit acts of sabotage and terrorism, said on Tuesday it had detained seven "mercenaries", including two Americans.

One of the Americans is a high-ranking FBI official, Maduro said on state television on Wednesday, while the other is a military official. Three of the detained are Ukrainians and two are Colombian.

Neither the U.S. Department of State nor Colombia's foreign ministry responded to requests for comment.

About 2,000 people were arrested at protests following the disputed election. The government said this week it has released 1,515 of them.

Politician Enrique Marquez, 61, who ran in the 2024 election but backed Gonzalez as the victor, has been detained, the Popular Will party said on social media, without providing more details.

The director of press freedom NGO Espacio Publico, Carlos Correa, 60, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon by hooded officials, that group said on X.

President Gustavo Petro of neighboring Colombia said on X on Wednesday that the detentions of Marquez and Correa prevented him from personally attending Maduro's inauguration. Petro added that he would not break relations with Venezuela, with whom he has sought to increase trade.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from running in the 2024 contest but remains highly popular, said on Tuesday she would attend opposition marches planned for Thursday, but did not specify where.

Machado, 57, is being investigated by the government in at least two cases of alleged conspiracy and has been in hiding since August. There is no public warrant for her arrest.

"I wouldn't miss that day for anything," she said in a virtual press conference. "Venezuela will be free, I can't guarantee the day or the time. It might be before, during or after January 10, but it will happen."

Gonzalez and Machado have repeatedly urged the police and military to support the opposition.