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Opposition politician returns home under house arrest
Juan Pablo Guanipa, a prominent Venezuelan opposition figure, has been placed under house arrest after being recaptured by security forces on Sunday, his son confirmed on Tuesday.
Timeline of events
Guanipa was initially released from prison at approximately 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Sunday, following a wave of political prisoner releases. Hours later, he was seized again in Caracas by unidentified, heavily armed individuals, according to opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Venezuela's Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello stated on Monday that Guanipa was rearrested for allegedly violating the terms of his release. Cabello accused some politicians of believing they could act with impunity.
Family confirms house arrest
In an interview with the BBC, Guanipa's son Ramón said his father was taken while moving between locations after speaking to supporters and giving media interviews. Ramón described the arrest as a kidnapping by plainclothes security forces.
Later on Tuesday, Ramón posted on his father's X account, confirming Guanipa had been returned to their home in Maracaibo under house arrest. While expressing relief that his father was no longer in a detention facility, Ramón emphasized that house arrest still constituted unjust imprisonment and demanded his full release.
"My father remains unjustly imprisoned, because house arrest is still imprisonment, and we demand his full freedom, as well as the freedom of all political prisoners."
Ramón Guanipa
Political context and reactions
Guanipa, a former vice-president of the National Assembly and leader of the Justice First party, was among at least 30 political prisoners freed on Sunday, according to Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal. His release came after the U.S. detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.
Justice First accused Venezuela's government of orchestrating Guanipa's recapture, alleging that armed forces pointed weapons at his group before forcing him into a vehicle. The party held senior officials-including interim President Delcy Rodríguez, National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, and Minister Diosdado Cabello-responsible for Guanipa's safety.
Guanipa's son also thanked the U.S. government, specifically President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for their efforts in advocating for political prisoners in Venezuela.
Background of Guanipa's detention
Elected governor of Zulia in 2017, Guanipa was barred from taking office after refusing to swear an oath before Maduro's National Constituent Assembly. He went into hiding in 2024 after being accused of terrorism and treason for challenging the disputed presidential election results.
Security forces detained Guanipa in May 2025. Opposition groups and human rights organizations have long accused Maduro's government of using arbitrary detentions to suppress dissent, particularly following the contested 2024 election.
The Venezuelan government maintains that those detained are criminals, not political prisoners.
