Opposition members arrested again in Venezuela: 'This is brutal repression'

Machado won the primary on the opposition front by a large margin in October 2023. She received nearly 93 percent of the vote. Since then, the Maduro regime has done everything it can to thwart it. She has been charged with corruption, which means she will be banned from holding any political office for 15 years, thus preventing her from participating in the presidential elections scheduled for July 28.

Machado also strongly denies the accusations against himself. She also continues her campaign for the presidential elections. He said: “I am innocent. Maduro wants me to leave the field, because he knows that people support me, because our team is Venezuela.”

It is not yet clear whether Machado will continue to run or someone else will nominate him despite the ban. Many opposition members want her to step down and give someone else the chance, but Machado himself seems to want to continue. It may hope to repeal the ban under international pressure.

All nominations for the presidential election must be submitted by March 25. Currently, no opponent has been identified to file a bid to run against Maduro. Human rights organizations in Venezuela describe the arrests as an attempt by the regime to nip all anti-government activities in the bud in the run-up to the elections.