The legal adviser for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, Perkins Rocha, has been detained. Rocha, who also provides legal counsel for the opposition Vente Venezuela party, was forcibly taken by unidentified individuals, with his current location remaining unknown.
Rocha’s arrest is the latest in a series of detentions targeting individuals linked to the opposition following last month’s presidential election. President Nicolás Maduro’s administration has apprehended over 2,400 people in the past month, a situation that the United Nations has described as fostering a “climate of fear.”
According to Vente Venezuela, Rocha was seized by force, and his whereabouts are currently untraceable. Rights organization Provea has raised alarms about escalating political repression in Venezuela since July 29, the day the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro victorious in the presidential race.
The CNE announced that Maduro secured a third consecutive term with 52% of the vote, but failed to provide comprehensive polling station results to substantiate this claim. The opposition disputes these results, presenting evidence from their own tally sheets collected on election night, which show their candidate, Edmundo González, winning 67% of the vote compared to Maduro’s 30%.
These tally sheets have been made available online and have been reviewed by major media outlets including the Washington Post and the Associated Press. Both organizations analyzed over 23,000 tally sheets—representing nearly 80% of the total—and concluded that González had a lead of more than 3.7 million votes over Maduro.
In response, Maduro has challenged the results in the Supreme Court, which, dominated by his allies, upheld the CNE’s declaration of his victory last week. The decision was announced by the court’s head, a prominent member of the ruling party, leading to criticisms of the court’s impartiality from the UN Human Rights Council. The council has accused both the court and the CNE of contributing to the state’s repressive practices.
Amid these developments, the Venezuelan opposition coalition has called for renewed protests on Wednesday, demanding the release of the election tally data. However, there are concerns that these demonstrations may face increased repression, particularly following the recent appointment of hardliner Diosdado Cabello as Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace.
Cabello, who will oversee Venezuela’s secret police and the National Guard, has a history of advocating for harsh measures against government opponents. He has previously expressed support for incarcerating figures like González and Machado. The opposition leaders have been largely in hiding in recent weeks, with Machado appearing only intermittently at protest rallies. On Monday, Machado vowed that they would continue their fight and urged her supporters to maintain pressure.