Key opposition figure María Oropeza's detention and disappearance has sent shockwaves through the movement, with her arrest video chilling protesters and driving many into hiding. The Maduro regime's crackdown on dissent intensifies amid international pressure to release detained activists.
Venezuela's opposition is facing a "decisive moment" following the arrest and disappearance of key leader María Oropeza, who was detained by security forces while livestreaming her arrest. Oropeza's activism in garnering support for the opposition party made her a significant target for the Maduro regime's crackdown on dissent.
Two days after Oropeza's arrest, Venezuela's military counter-intelligence unit released the first and only video of her. In the footage, the 30-year-old was seen being escorted off a plane to the back of a van with her hands bound by zip ties.
Venezuela's Opposition in a 'Decisive Moment' after Leader's Arrest
Last week, Vente Venezuela lawyers confirmed that Oropeza, their coordinator for Portuguesa State, was being held at the notorious El Helicoide detention center, charged with inciting hatred and terrorism, offenses that carry up to 20 to 30 years in prison.
Maduro's El Helicoide detention center in Caracas holds both common and political prisoners. It is infamous for being Venezuela's main jail for dissidents and its worst torture camp. Prisoners are kept in crowded, unhygienic underground cells where cockroaches roam and human waste fouls the environment. Female inmates often face sexual violence. Most prisoners, like Oropeza, have no legal representation and cannot contact a lawyer.
Venezuela's Opposition in a 'Decisive Moment' after Leader's Arrest
The U.S. State Department has called on Maduro "to release those detained for exercising their right to free expression" and for "the will of the Venezuelan people" to be "respected." The Biden administration has expressed its commitment to uphold the rights of Venezuelan voters, but no concrete actions to liberate those in torture camps have been taken.
The Ladies of Liberty Alliance (LOLA), a global organization of libertarian women, has taken prompt action in response to Oropeza's arrest. Earlier this month, LOLA filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, requesting precautionary measures for Oropeza's release. The organization is also striving to draw international attention to her plight, calling on human rights organizations and the international community to put pressure on the Maduro regime.
Venezuela's Opposition in a 'Decisive Moment' after Leader's Arrest
Her detention has deeply shaken protesters. The harrowing arrest video, later edited and reposted by Venezuela's counter-intelligence militia with ominous music from the horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street," has driven many into hiding.
LOLA President Nena Bartlett Whitfield told Fox News Digital that many activists' "appetite for risk has lowered. They are afraid of being jailed." Whitfield added, "The regime does not want a violent revolution, but they do harass the opposition to deter their fight." Whitfield says Oropeza's arrest video "has chilled people into silence."
Venezuela's Opposition in a 'Decisive Moment' after Leader's Arrest
LOLA lawyer Ana Karina Rizo expressed the danger that protesters who remain in Venezuela face, telling Fox News Digital, "We know activists like María could be targeted by the regime at any moment. That is the risk you take when challenging totalitarian regimes."
"She chose to stay in Venezuela, even when she had opportunities to leave, because she wanted to fight for freedom and for her family," Oropeza’s friend and fellow LOLA colleague Agustina Sosa told Fox News Digital. "How can we not continue our push for her release?"
Venezuela's Opposition in a 'Decisive Moment' after Leader's Arrest
LOLA is spearheading fundraising efforts for Oropeza’s release. The organization has raised nearly $4,000 toward its goal of $5,000. An estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the tumultuous country since 2014.
