Venezuela on Edge as Dozens of Political Dissidents Are Jailed Days Before General Election

Venezuela’s opposition party Vente Venezuela and non-profit electoral watchdogs are reporting dozens of Vente Venezuela staff are being arbitrarily arrested throughout the country.

According to a recent report by Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal, over 70 arrests of individuals tied to Vente Venezuela have been made since July 4.

Foro Penal alleges the latest arrests add to the already 114 politically-motivated arrests executed by Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro since the year began.

Among the individuals arrested was Milciades Avila, who is Vente Venezuela leader Maria Corina-Machado’s security chief.

Machado denounced the arrest via X.

“I hold Nicolas Maduro accountable for the physical integrity of Milciades Avila,” stated Machado. “There are tens of witnesses and videos demonstrating his arrest was a planned provocation to strip us of protection 11 days prior to the 28th of july.”

Venezuela is set to hold presidential elections, which many have labeled as ‘illegitimate’, on July 28.

Florida’s political leaders, for example, are leading a bipartisan and bicameral resolution denouncing Dictator Maduro’s manipulation of the upcoming presidential elections.

The resolution is being led by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) in the House and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the Senate.

Venezuela’s elections follow failed negotiations between Venezuela’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration over electoral assurances in exchange for sanctions relief.

Despite promises of allowing free and fair elections, the Venezuelan regime barred opposition leader Machado from participating in the same.

However, Machado has invested her political capital into former Venezuelan Ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez.

After Machado began supporting Gonzalez, who was allowed to register for the elections, the latter skyrocketed in the country’s polls.

Despite Gonzalez’s popularity, many remain skeptical Maduro will permit a transparent electoral process and expect he will instead fix the elections in his favor