Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello defended on Monday (February 9) the re-arrest of opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, saying he violated the conditions of his release just hours after being freed from prison.

"897 people have been released and nothing had happened, they left and met with their families until the illustrated stupidity of some politicians who believed they can do whatever they want and disrupt the country, violating the very conditions under which they were given freedom," Cabello, who is also first vice president of the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), told a press conference.

However, Guanipa's son Ramon Guanipa described the incident as a kidnapping, saying his father was seized by armed men in civilian clothes just hours after his prison release. Before being detained, Guanipa had celebrated with supporters in a plaza and participated in a motorcycle caravan calling for the release of other political prisoners on Sunday (February 8).

The incident occurred amid broader releases of political prisoners in Venezuela following pressure from the United States, with rights group Foro Penal reporting 383 political prisoners freed since January 8.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: VENEZUELAN INTERIOR MINISTER AND FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED SOCIALIST PARTY OF VENEZUELA, DIOSDADO CABELLO / SOUNDBITES FROM CABELLO

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE STORY

SHOWS: MIRANDA, VENEZUELA (FEBRUARY 9, 2026) (VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

1. VENEZUELAN INTERIOR MINISTER AND FIRST VICE PRESIDENT THE UNITED SOCIALIST PARTY OF VENEZUELA (PSUV), DIOSDADO CABELLO, DURING NEWS CONFERENCE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF PSUV AND INTERIOR MINISTER, DIOSDADO CABELLO, SAYING:

[SOUNDBITE CONTINUES AND ENDS OVER SHOT OF JOURNALIST]

"897 people have been released. 897 and nothing had happened, they left and met with their families until the illustrated stupidity of some politicians who believed they can do whatever they want and disrupt the country, violating the very conditions under which they were given freedom. So, now there are not 897 but 896 because one person was detained again for violating the conditions under which they were released."

3. MEMBERS OF PSUV APPLAUDING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF PSUV AND INTERIOR MINISTER, DIOSDADO CABELLO, SAYING:

"They think they're untouchable, let justice work, let it work. Afterwards they change their face from arrogance and stupidity to the foolish face they've always had, and then... justice works, let justice work, justice is working, that's proof that justice is working. People were saying, including opposition sectors, this one has gone crazy (referring to Juan Pablo Guanipa, who was detained less than 24 hours after his release), no he's not crazy, he's always acted like this because they think they're superior to others."

5. VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF PSUV AND INTERIOR MINISTER, DIOSDADO CABELLO, SAYING:

"There is a real Venezuela, truly, and there is a fake Venezuela. We must believe in the real Venezuela. In the fake Venezuela, for example, I am not here, I am not here, I am somewhere else. In the fake Venezuela, almost all of us have been murdered. In the fake Venezuela, Venezuela is chaos."

7. MEMBERS OF PSUV APPLAUDING

8. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS