(Bloomberg) -- Hours after his top ally’s dramatic arrest, Juan Guaido groped for fresh tactics to fend off Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s crackdown on opposition lawmakers.
On Thursday, Guaido called for the Organization of American States to study “all options” against the regime and asked his supporters to, yet again, keep the faith in the streets after the detention of National Assembly Vice President Edgar Zambrano.
The government “wants to persecute congressman to try to make itself seem stronger,” Guaido, president of the powerless legislature, told reporters in Caracas. He called for another a wave of nationwide demonstrations. “This will not stop us.”
Zambrano’s arrest marked a fresh crackdown on top Guaido allies after last week’s failed insurrection, which was backed by many of the government’s most strident opponents. The ruling socialists periodically detain elected officials and Venezuela’s high court recently called for the prosecution of 10 lawmakers. Zambrano, who appeared with Guaido and two dozen defecting soldiers in an overture to the armed forces to revolt, was among them.
Ignored the Call
The April 30 uprising sputtered after just hours when top military brass ignored the call to abandon the regime and security forces took back control of Caracas streets. Maduro and his confidants have since vowed those responsible will be duly punished.
Late Wednesday, Zambrano was leaving the Democratic Action party’s headquarters in eastern Caracas in an armored vehicle when dozens of Sebin intelligence police surrounded the area. After he refused to exit his car, agents hauled it away with the lawmaker still inside and live-tweeting his transfer to the agency headquarters, known as El Helicoide, across town.
“We were taken by surprise by the Sebin,” Zambrano wrote from inside his black SUV as he was being detained. “After refusing to come out of our vehicle, they used a tow truck to forcefully transport us to the Helicoide. We democrats will continue to fight.”
Maduro ally Diosdado Cabello, the president of the Constituent Assembly, created to bypass the opposition-dominated legislature, said on state television Thursday that the congressman remained in custody and more arrests could come.
“Last night justice was served,” Cabello said recounting the episode to socialist party members at a rally in Monagas state. “Every time the revolution is attacked, there should be a revolutionary response.”
Zambrano and at least nine other congressman are under government investigation for crimes including treason, rebellion and criminal intent for publicly backing Guaido in his push to topple Maduro. Maduro calls the botched uprising a coup and has cracked down on dissent in the military and at street protests.
Guiado -- recognized by the U.S. and around 50 other nations as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state -- counters that he and his allies are trying to restore the rule of law to a nation that is wracked by hyperinflation, hunger and rampant corruption.
The 35-year-old lawmaker invoked Venezuela’s charter to launch an interim government and kicked off a wave of national protests in January. Guaido rapidly won international recognition after Maduro began another six-year term following 2018 elections that were widely regarded as rigged.