Human Rights
Maduro regime kidnaps opposition leader María Corina Machado's security chief
The opposition leader issued a global alert due to the repressive escalation of the regime after the kidnapping of the head of her custody
July 17, 2024 10:40am
Updated: July 18, 2024 8:33am
The Vente Venezuela political party denounced the Maduro regime’s arrest of Milciades Ávila, the security chief who is in charge of protecting opposition leader María Corina Machado, early Wednesday
“Today at dawn, regime officials forcibly entered the house where he was, violating all legal procedures,” the party revealed on its X account, also demanding his “immediate release.”
Machado issued a global alert regarding the repressive escalation of the Maduro regime after the kidnapping of the head of his custody.
“Milciades Ávila has been part of our team for 10 years, and today he is the head of our protection unit. He previously had an outstanding career in the police. Ávila has accompanied me around the entire country and has risked his life to defend me,” the opposition leader wrote.
“I ALERT the world about Maduro's escalation of repression against those who work in the campaign or help us in any part of the country. Maduro has made violence and repression his campaign,” she added.
Machado holds Maduro responsible for anything that may happen to Ávila and the other 24 people on her team who have also been kidnapped by the dictatorship.
Milciades Ávila es parte de nuestro equipo desde hace 10 años, y hoy es el jefe de nuestra unidad de protección. Previamente tuvo una destacada trayectoria en la policía.
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) July 17, 2024
Ávila me ha acompañado alrededor de todo el país y ha arriesgado su vida para defenderme.
Esta madrugada fue… pic.twitter.com/hhkWJAGX2M
Last Friday, the NGO Foro Penal confirmed the arrest of singer Wilmer Ramón Álvarez Vargas, known as “Willy Álvarez”, who dedicated two songs to the Venezuelan opposition.
His hearing took place on Sunday, where a Chavista judge charged him with “resistance to the authorities” and ordered that, for his release, he must present two guarantors.
The opposition campaign team reported on Sunday that at least nine people had been arrested over the weekend in four states of the country. Another 14 were already detained by the intelligence services and another six opponents remain sheltered in the Argentine embassy in Caracas.
