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Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Pablo Guanipa Returned to House Arrest in Maracaibo

Prosecutors say he violated terms of a brief conditional release by speaking publicly, intensifying doubts about the scope of Venezuela’s recent prisoner excarcerations.

Overview

  • Juan Pablo Guanipa’s family confirmed he is now under house arrest at his Maracaibo home after a two-day uncertainty over his whereabouts.
  • Guanipa was freed on February 8, then intercepted hours later by unidentified armed men in Caracas before authorities placed him on home detention.
  • The Attorney General’s office argued he breached release conditions by making public statements, a claim his family disputes as they say speech was not restricted.
  • His son reported tighter controls under the new measure, including an electronic ankle monitor, bans on media and social media statements, and police posted outside the residence.
  • The re-detention has drawn international criticism, including from U.S. Senator Rick Scott, as rights groups note more than 400 conditional releases and lawmakers postpone a planned amnesty vote.