Two prominent leaders of the Venezuelan opposition serving house arrests have been taken from their homes by the state intelligance services
ADVERTISEMENTTwo prominent leaders of the Venezuelan opposition, Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, have been arrested. The two men were taken from their homes where they were already serving house arrest.
Lopez was under house arrest since early July, when he was freed from prison after serving nearly three and a half years, and Ledezma had been restricted to his home since 2015. Last week both men called on Venezuelans to boycott Sunday’s controversial election of a new constituent assembly.
Ledezma’s wife filmed the moment the Sebin intelligence services entered their home to take her husband away.
#Venezuela is such a vibrant place. pic.twitter.com/lOH5tlWlwG
— Lucid Hurricane ✘ (@LucidHurricaneX) 31 juillet 2017
Sunday’s election saw at least 10 deaths in violent clashes with security forces. The government claimed victory and a turnout of at least six million. The opposition claims it was barely half of that. With parliament in the opposition’s hands there are fears President Maduro will use the assembly to sideline the uncooperative elected body.
Venezuela is an economic and humanitarian calamity. This should alarm the rest of the world. Our cover: https://t.co/Rj5SHMCPbKpic.twitter.com/3qaf1t8Esg
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) 31 juillet 2017