There are many criticisms that can be leveled at Nicolas Maduro, but it certainly cannot be said that he is not a man of his word. What happened last night, the Venezuelan president had anticipated during his first public speech after the election of the Constituent Assembly, the body that will serve to counter Parliament, the Attorney General, the leaders of the opposition and the independent press .
No sooner said than done. Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma, two of the main opposition leaders, who were already under house arrest, were taken from their homes during the night by intelligence service agents.
A video containing images of the capture was published by Antonio Ledezma's wife, Mitzy Capriles, on her husband's official profile. Strong images that show the man in pajamas, yanked by the intelligence forces, while an off-camera woman screams and calls for help: “They're taking Ledezma away! It's a dictatorship!”.
Mitzy. By force, the coups and the errands took Antonio from our home. We are responsible for the regime for your life and integrity!!! pic.twitter.com/69xZ7IqZk0
— Antonio Ledezma (@alcaldeledezma) August 1th, 2017
Only a few hours ago, the destination of one of them was announced. Lopez's lawyer has in fact made it known that his client has been reported to the military prison of Ramo Verde, on the outskirts of Caracas, from where he left on 8 July. The lawyer called Lopez's arrest "completely arbitrary", noting that no judicial order had been delivered at the time of his arrest. However, it is not known where Antonio Ledezma was taken.
The reasons for the arrest were communicated by Elias Jaua, president of the presidential commission for the Constituent Assembly and former minister of Nicolas Maduro. According to reports, the two have “violated the terms of their house arrest”, breaking certain restrictions. Among these is the prohibition of "public political statements", especially in the case of "calls for the disavowal of legitimate institutions and of the results of the elections" for the Constituent Assembly.
Both Lopez and Ledezma have in fact released videos with political messages appealing to Venezuelans and asking them to join the protest against the creation of the Constituent Assembly which, by concentrating all legislative power, de facto deprives the National Assembly "duly elected in 2015 with the vote of 14 million Venezuelans”.
Italy and in general almost all the states of the international community have not recognized the outcome of the Venezuelan consultation. To the latest news from Caracas, the Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni released a tweet: "Venezuela. Arrest of opposition leaders unacceptable. Italy engaged against the risk of dictatorship and civil war". On the government website, the statement by the premier was also published yesterday in an interview: Italy will not recognize "the constituent assembly wanted by Maduro".
#Venezuela Arrest of opposition leaders unacceptable. Italy engaged against the risk of dictatorship and civil war
- Paolo Gentiloni (@PaoloGentiloni) August 1th, 2017
A harsh condemnation also came from the European Union: “It is clearly a wrong move – declared a spokesman for Federica Mogherini, high representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security policy -. We demand from the Venezuelan authorities information on the situation of Lopez and Ledezma, which is not at all clear". "I strongly condemn the constant violation of human rights in Venezuela" wrote Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament on Twitter, against the "unjustified arrests" of Lopez and Ledezma: "I strongly condemn the constant violation of human rights in Venezuela".
I strongly condemn the constant violation of human rights in Venezuela, unjustified arrests of @alcaldeledezma y @leopaldolopez
— EP President Tajani (@EP_President) August 1th, 2017
