Venezuela Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Reappears After Alleged Abduction By Maduro Regime

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has reappeared in a social media video, reassuring supporters of her safety following an encounter with regime agents, which led her team to claim she had been kidnapped. Later they explained that she was indeed detained, but then released after being forced to record a video.

"Today, #Jan9, after leaving the rally in Chacao, Caracas, María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) was intercepted and knocked off the motorcycle she was riding. Firearms were discharged during the incident. She was forcibly taken and held against her will. During her captivity, she was forced to record several videos before being released," reads a publication by Comando Con Venezuela, an official communications channel for her and her team.

In the video she can be seen dressed in a black bomber jacket and hoodie:, "I am fine. I just lost my little blue handbag; it fell on the floor, but I am fine," she says.

The incident occurred after a large rally in Caracas, where thousands gathered to protest against Nicolás Maduro's regime. Machado, who had been in hiding due to threats against her following the latest electoral fallout, emerged to lead the demonstration, emphasizing the need for democratic restoration in Venezuela. Her appearance was met with support, with chants of "freedom" echoing through the streets.

As the rally concluded, Machado's convoy was intercepted by government agents. Eyewitnesses reported a tense confrontation, with security forces attempting to detain her.

The regime's actions drew immediate and widespread condemnation, with several politicians from around the world expressing alarm and demanding her release.

Tensions are set to continue as both Maduro and opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia have voiced their intention to assume the presidency on Friday. The regime claimed victory in the July elections but failed to provide documentation. In contrast, the opposition presented electoral ballots showing a victory for González Urrutia, leading several countries from the region and the world to recognize him as the legitimate victor.

González Urrutia, however, fled the country after being threatened with arrest and has been exiled in Spain since. He has voiced his intention to return to Venezuela on Friday joined by nine former Latin American presidents to take office.