Official statements from Venezuelan authorities or credible news sources

Opposition Leader González Reports Son-in-Law's Kidnapping Ahead of Maduro's Inauguration

Jan 7, 2025, 06:09 PM

Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared President-elect Edmundo González announced that his son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, was kidnapped in Caracas on Tuesday morning. According to González, Tudares was intercepted by masked men dressed in black uniforms while he was taking González's grandchildren, aged 6 and 7, to school for the start of classes. The assailants allegedly forced him into a golden SUV with the license plate AA54E2C before driving away, leaving his whereabouts unknown. The incident comes just days before the scheduled inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro on January 10th, amid heightened political tensions in the country. González had recently met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the Oval Office and House Speaker Mike Johnson in Washington, D.C. Following the reported kidnapping, González canceled his remaining agenda in the United States. Opposition parties and leaders, including Voluntad Popular, Henrique Capriles, César Pérez Vivas, and Juan Guaidó, condemned the incident and called for action. There are calls for protests on January 9th against Maduro's government, amid allegations that government security forces were involved in the abduction.