Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has intensified his crackdown on opposition figures following his contested election victory. On Thursday night, opposition leaders Américo De Grazia and
Williams Davila were arrested, according to their parties and families, while the social media platform X has been blocked in the country for the next 10 days.
Maduro secured a third term in last month's elections with 52% of the vote, but the opposition alleges widespread fraud, insisting that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, was the true winner. This claim has been supported by several countries, including the United States and some Latin American nations.
Crackdown on Opposition
In his crackdown, Maduro has targeted key opposition leaders. Davila was reportedly arrested during a rally in Caracas supporting "political prisoners," while De Grazia is said to be detained at the headquarters of the intelligence services, according to his daughter.
"We don't know what he's accused of. There's no arrest warrant for my father, and we haven't received any sign of life. We don't know under what conditions he's being held," De Grazia's daughter shared on Instagram.
Meanwhile, a criminal investigation has been launched against opposition figures Gonzalez Urrutia and María Corina Machado, with charges including "usurpation of authority, incitement to rebellion, and criminal conspiracy." Both have been in hiding for over a week, with Machado expressing fears for her safety.
Social Media Blackout
Following the announcement of election results, thousands of Venezuelans protested against Maduro's regime, leading to 24 deaths, according to human rights organizations. These protests were largely organized via social media.
In response, Maduro announced on Thursday that the social media platform X would be blocked in Venezuela for the next 10 days. He has repeatedly accused social media sites of attempting to orchestrate a "cyber-fascist criminal coup" and has also called for a boycott of WhatsApp. Photo by khamenei.ir, Wikimedia commons.