CARACAS. The political party Voluntad Popular denounced the arbitrary arrest of the former mayor of Carora, Javier Oropeza, on the afternoon of this Thursday, September 17, in Barquisimeto, Lara state (western Venezuela).
The political organization, whose top leader is Leopoldo López exiled in Spain, posted in X that the former mayor was intercepted and taken away by a group of officials in a silver van. Presumably they are officials of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB)
The arrest took place just as Oropeza was leaving an interview at the newspaper’s headquarters. The Informantlocated in Barquisimeto.
Voluntad Popular described the detention as arbitrary and highlighted that the former official had only arrived in the country 48 hours after an intense persecution that led him to exile, following the protests against the electoral results of July 28, 2024, when Nicolás Maduro, now imprisoned in New York, stole the elections that Edmundo González Urrutia won.
The political organization warned about the legal irregularity of the procedure, pointing out that the arrest took place just one day after their case was dismissed.
Given the lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of the former mayor, supporters of the orange awning and opposition leaders such as Freddy Superlano and Juan Pablo Guanipa, from Primero Justicia, turned to police authorities to demand the release of Oropeza.
“Freddy Superlano, accompanied by @JuanPGuanipa, other opposition leaders and members of our party in Lara, is at the DIP headquarters in Barquisimeto demanding answers about the arbitrary detention of the former mayor of Carora,” reads the Voluntad Popular publication.
Stopped again
Former Mayor Oropeza was forced into exile after being identified by the Nicolás Maduro regime as the alleged “intellectual author” of the post-election unrest on July 28, 2024. He faced accusations of terrorism despite his repeated calls for peace.
This judicial persecution was taken advantage of by the ruling municipal chamber to declare his vacancy, remove him from his position and swear in an official from the PSUV (ruling party) in his place.
After more than two years as a refugee between Colombia and Spain, Oropeza returned to Venezuela in September 2026 after receiving news about the dismissal of his criminal case, with the intention of putting himself before the courts. However, this judicial guarantee was not respected.
The arbitrary detention occurs less than 24 hours after the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela issued a report in which it denounces that the repressive apparatus of the State remains intact despite the tutelage of the United States.
Also when the second round of the dialogue table between the opposition and Chavismo is about to begin, in which political and civil rights will be discussed. Members of the opposition have already asked for the freedom of all political prisoners and guarantees for Venezuelans returning from exile.
