Venezuelan opposition say 72 of their members have been detained in two weeks of presidential campai

(18 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Caracas, Venezuela - 18 July 2024
1. People holding banners and white roses, protesting in front of Public Ministry against people they claim have been unjustly imprisoned
2. Demonstrator holding white rose
3. Various of people at protest
4. Man holding a banner calling for release of opposition leader's security chief (Spanish) "Milciades Avila, political prisoner."
5. Various of opposition leaders at briefing
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Biagio Pilieri, Opposition lawmaker:
“This is another level, this is something else than all the other things that have been done to us. The level has gone up. But just as the level of criminal action has gone up, even to the point of an attempt (against opposition leader Maria Corina Machado), so has the popular support for (presidential candidate) Edmundo Gonzalez, for Maria Corina Machado, and for the election of July 28th."
7. Pilieri speaking
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Biagio Pilieri, Opposition lawmaker:
“Venezuela is witness to the development of an unequal electoral campaign, as never before in the history of Venezuela; to the titanic efforts to overcome every obstacle, outrage, and abuse of power against the democratic option. So far, in an unbelievable, absurd way, we have more than 72 detainees in this very short time of electoral campaign."
9. Various of opposition leaders at briefing
STORYLINE:
Venezuela's opposition coalition expressed concern on Thursday about what they describe as an escalation of violence ahead of presidential elections on July 28.
Opposition lawmaker Biagio Pilieri said 72 members of the opposition had been arrested during a campaign that started on July 4.
Shortly before Pileri's speech, a group gathered outside the Public Ministry to protest against what they claim are unjust detentions, among those, the head of security of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Machado has said that Milciades Ávila was arrested on Wednesday on trumped up charges of violence against women.
On Thursday she denounced an overnight attack on her team's vehicles in a video posted on her X account, formerly known as Twitter.
Machado was banned from running against President Nicolás Maduro after winning an opposition-organized primary last year.
She is instead crisscrossing the country with a hand selected stand-in candidate, Edmundo González, a retired diplomat previously unknown to Venezuelans.
AP Video shot by Juan Arraez
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel [phone] Email: [e-mail].
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...