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| Maria Corina Machado attended a protest rally in Caracas | Photo: AFP |
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was briefly detained by security forces on Thursday after re-emerging to lead a protest in Caracas after months in hiding. Later she was released.
Machado, a 57-year-old engineer-turned-politician, attended a protest rally in Caracas yesterday, standing on top of a pickup truck and addressing thousands of supporters amid a heavy police presence.
The rally was organized to protest against the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro for a third term as Venezuelan president despite the controversy surrounding the election. Maduro is scheduled to be sworn in on Friday.
"We are not afraid," Machado told the assembled supporters, yesterday.
The rally was smaller than expected. Many are fearful of government repression.
"From today, we are in a new chapter," Machado said loudly at the rally. "Venezuela is free."
After the speech, She rode away on the back of a motorcycle. At the time, Machado was wearing a dark-colored jacket and a black helmet.
It is unclear exactly what happened next. Supporters say security forces "forcibly" grabbed Machado and took him away after she left the rally.
For about an hour, no one from Machado's team could say much. Later, they said that Machado had been pushed off his motorcycle, shot, and briefly detained. During that time, she was forced to make several videos.
Machado later posted on social media, thanking the people who showed up to the protest. She expressed sympathy for a Venezuelan citizen who was shot and injured by government forces while being detained, Machado said.
The opposition leader also wrote, "I am now in a safe place. I am more determined than ever to work by your side until the end."
She promised to provide more information on Friday about what happened on Thursday and what is going to happen in the future.
At the end of the post, she wrote, 'Venezuela will be free.'
Venezuela held presidential elections in July. The results were disputed. The country's election authorities declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner. However, the opposition refused to accept the results. They claimed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had won the election. After the results were announced, protests spread across Venezuela demanding their annulment. President Maduro took a hard line in suppressing the protests. Several protesters were killed.
Opposition leader Gonzalez fled the country after going into hiding. Another opposition leader, Corina Machado, also went into hiding.