Sawt Falasteen - In Venezuela, fourth opposition campaign aide detained

Venezuela's attorney general confirmed the arrest on X, formerly Twitter, writing that "Emil Brandt Ulloa was presented by prosecutors" at a court in Barinas.

Though officially ineligible to run in the July 28 presidential election, Machado last week took her shadow campaign to Barinas state, the political home turf of late president Hugo Chavez.

"I hereby report... that the regime of (President) Nicolas Maduro has kidnapped our Director of the Campaign Command in Barinas state," Machado posted on X.

Brandt was detained early Saturday, and family members do not know his whereabouts, party members said.

According to Attorney General Tarek William Saab, Brandt had been wanted for weeks for involvement in "violent" and "terrorist" plots against the government.

He said the campaign manager would be tried in a Caracas court for "conspiracy, association, gender-based violence and insulting a public servant."

In January, three regional campaign leaders were detained for alleged plots against the Maduro government and are being held at the Helicoid, a feared intelligence detention center.

Maduro's government and the opposition agreed in Barbados last year to hold a free and fair vote in 2024 with international observers present.

The agreement required that opposition candidates be allowed to appeal court rulings disqualifying them from holding office.

Since then, however, the Supreme Court loyal to Maduro upheld a 15-year ban on Machado and others.

Senior government official Diosdado Cabello meanwhile has said that elections will be held "without the presence" of the United States or the Organization of American States -- contrary to the deal's provisions.

Machado said Saturday the latest arrest constitutes "a new violation of the already flouted Barbados agreement."

Many countries refused to recognize the results of Maduro's last election in 2018, citing fraud and a lack of transparency.

The hand-picked successor of the charismatic revolutionary Chavez, Maduro has battled a worsening economy, marked by runaway inflation and shortages as the country's oil boom went bust, and multiple political crises.

The dire situation has pushed more than seven million Venezuelans to flee their country.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST