Opposition leader Mara Corina Machado of Venezuela was arrested Thursday, according to her aides. Officials denied her detention seconds later, capping a day of protests aimed at preventing President Nicols Maduro from holding onto power.

The exact events after Machado said goodbye to hundreds of supporters, got on a motorcycle, and sped down a main Caracas avenue with her security convoy remain unclear. According to a social media post by Machado's press team, security agents physically stopped her convoy at 3:21 p.m. local time. Following her detention, her aides informed The Associated Press, and officials from Latin America and beyond condemned her and called for her release. At 3:21 pm local time, Machado's press team announced on social media that security forces had forcefully stopped her convoy. Her aides later informed The Associated Press that she had been detained. Leaders from Latin America and around the world quickly condemned the action and called for her release.

About an hour later, a 20-second video of Machado appeared online as proof she was alive. In the video, she mentioned being followed after leaving the rally and said she had dropped her purse. Her team later posted on social media, claiming the video was recorded under pressure. They added that she was released after filming it and promised she would share details about her kidnapping later. The government's practice of unlawfully holding actual or perceived opponents has been linked to the term "kidnapping" in recent years. It is thought to be a component of an effort to suppress anti-government demonstrations that erupted following the announcement of the election results. In a post on X late Thursday, Machado stated that she was safe and more determined than ever to keep up her fight to remove Maduro from office. Additionally, she said that someone was shot "when the regime's repressive forces arrested me."

The Associated Press was unable to reach Machado for clarification on her statement. She informed her supporters that she would provide more details about the events on Friday. At the same time, Maduro's supporters rejected the claim that Machado had been detained, accusing government opponents of spreading false information to create an international crisis. Communications Minister Freddy Nanez said no one should be surprised by this, especially since it's coming from the fascists who were behind the deception. A day before Maduro was set to be sworn in to a third six-year term by the governing party-controlled National Assembly, Machado spoke to hundreds of supporters who had responded to her call to take to the streets. This was despite strong evidence that Maduro had lost the presidential election. 

Just minutes before she was reportedly arrested, Machado shouted from atop a truck in the capital, "They wanted us to fight each other, but Venezuela is united, we are not afraid." After many of her colleagues among opposition leaders fled their country due to repression, Machado, 57, a hardliner and former lawmaker, remained and continued to fight Maduro, joining the more than 7.7 million Venezuelans who have left their country since 2013. Last year, she was prohibited from running against Maduro by the country's ruling judicial loyalists. According to voting machine records gathered by the opposition and confirmed by international observers, she made a wise decision by supporting an unidentified outsider former diplomat named Edmundo Gonzlez, who defeated Maduro by a margin of more than two to one. Gonzalez, referred to as the president-elect by the United States and other countries, called for her immediate release.

After meeting with President Luis Abinader and a group of previous Latin American presidents, Gonzalez posted on social media from the Dominican Republic, warning the security forces not to play with fire. Donald Trump, the next president, offered his thoughts on Machado and Gonzalez's initiatives. These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and MUST stay SAFE and ALIVE! Trump said on Truth Social. On Thursday, protests saw a smaller turnout compared to the past. Many Venezuelans, wary of President Maduro's security forces, chose to stay away after witnessing numerous arrests of opponents and even bystanders since the July election. Riot police were also heavily deployed. Of course, there's fewer people, empanada vendor Miguel Contreras said as National Guard soldiers carrying riot shields buzzed by on motorcycles. There's fear.

Protesters blocked a major avenue in an opposition stronghold. Many were elderly and wore red, yellow, and blue, responding to Machado's call to dress in the colors of the Venezuelan flag. They all criticized Maduro and said they would recognize González as Venezuela's rightful president. The use of security forces and pro-government armed groups, known as colectivos, to intimidate opponents shows Maduro's deep insecurity, said Javier Corrales, a Latin America expert from Amherst College. Since the elections, the government has arrested over 2,000 people, including about 10 Americans and other foreigners accused of plotting to overthrow Maduro and create chaos in the oil-rich South American country. This week alone, masked gunmen arrested a former presidential candidate, a well-known free speech activist, and even González's son-in-law while he was taking his young children to school. Corrales, who co-authored the article How Maduro Stole Venezuela's Vote in the Journal of Democracy this month, said that while it's an impressive display of force, it's also a sign of weakness.

According to Corrales, Maduro is safe in power, but he and his supporters know they are advancing a massive deception and have no choice but to use the military to defend their actions. Maduro was proclaimed the victor of the election by Venezuela's National Electoral Council, which is likewise full of supporters of the regime. However, authorities did not grant access to voting records or precinct-level results, in contrast to prior campaigns. The opposition gathered tally sheets from 85% of the electronic voting machines and shared them online. These sheets showed that their candidate, González, had beaten Maduro by more than two votes to one. Experts from the United Nations and the Carter Center, based in Atlanta, who were invited by Maduro's government to observe the election, confirmed that the tally sheets published by the opposition are legitimate.

Gonzlez has also been acknowledged as the president-elect of Venezuela by the United States and other nations. The swearing-in ceremony on Friday is being skipped by several of Maduro's old communist friends in Latin America. In a meeting with Gonzlez at the White House this week, President Joe Biden commended the little-known former diplomat for having "inspired millions." Following the meeting, Biden stated that the people of Venezuela should have a peaceful transfer of power to the rightful winner of their presidential election.