The Liberal International Bureau is outraged to learn that Pedro Urruchurtu, the international affairs coordinator of LI member Vente Venezuela, and other key figures from the opposition have been targeted with arrest warrants by the regime of Nicolás Maduro on so-called charges of “betrayal of the country.”

The world observed the overwhelming support for Vente in the opposition presidential primaries last month. We see this cynical attempt to remove key figures in Venezuela’s liberal opposition from action as an affront to those who cherish freedom and desire progress for the country, which has been marred by decades of misrule and malfeasance.

We demand that these charges be dropped immediately and that the elections planned for 2024 be free and competitive. We call upon the international community to unite in one clear voice to promote the protection of political freedoms for all Venezuelans.