Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Pablo Guanipa Released After Eight Months in Detention

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa has been released after spending more than eight months in detention, he confirmed in a video posted online. The release of the prominent opposition figure comes as the government faces increasing demands from both domestic and international communities to free political detainees.

Guanipa, a close ally of opposition leader María Corina Machado, was apprehended in late May and accused by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello of being part of a 'terrorist group' that allegedly aimed to disrupt the legislative elections. His brother, Tomás Guanipa, has dismissed these claims, asserting that the arrest was a suppression tactic against dissenters.

The release follows pressures on acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed office following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Human rights groups and the opposition have critiqued the slow pace of freeing political prisoners, despite announcements of forthcoming releases by Rodríguez's administration.