Venezuelan Edmundo González Urrutia, who the opposition says won July’s presidential election against incumbent Nicolás Maduro, said his son-in-law was arrested by “hooded men” in Caracas.
“This morning my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped,” González said Tuesday on X.
“Rafael was going to my grandchildren’s school to drop them off for the start of school, he was intercepted by hooded men, dressed in black, they put him in a golden van, registered AA54E2C and took away.”
The Venezuelan government on Monday criticized a meeting between Joe Biden and González, who is on an international tour aimed at pressuring Maduro to relinquish power.
The 62-year-old has ruled the oil-rich country for more than a decade, maintaining an iron grip on power with the help of the police, paramilitaries and armed forces.
Backed by state institutions loyal to him, Maduro claimed victory in July’s elections, with the National Electoral Council (CNE) failing to make the results public.
The opposition claimed its polling station-level data showed González won the election with an overwhelming majority.
More than 20 people were killed and nearly 200 injured in riots that followed Maduro’s election victory in July.
Another 2,400 people were arrested in the crackdown, with authorities announcing this week that around 1,500 had since been released. Rights groups have cast doubt on this figure.
González, 75, went into exile in Spain in September and pledged to return to his country to take the oath of office.
Maduro is due to be sworn in on Friday for a third six-year term.
The Maduro government has vowed to deal harshly with future protests and has threatened to imprison González if he keeps his promise to return to Venezuela. Last week, authorities offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
theguardian