CARACAS, Feb 11, (V7N) — Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, a close ally of opposition leader María Corina Machado, has been placed under house arrest, just days after his release from prison, his family said on Tuesday.

Guanipa, 61, a former vice president of the National Assembly and longtime critic of the Maduro government, was freed from detention on Sunday after spending more than eight months in prison on politically charged accusations. However, he was re-arrested hours later, shortly after speaking publicly and taking part in demonstrations with recently freed political figures in Caracas.

His son, Ramón Guanipa, confirmed on social media that his father is now under house arrest in Maracaibo, Venezuela’s northwest, and remains effectively restricted despite being out of jail. Ramón wrote that “house arrest is still imprisonment,” and called for his **immediate and full freedom, along with that of other political prisoners still detained.”

The Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office said the move was made because Guanipa allegedly violated the conditions of his release, though authorities have not made clear which conditions were breached. Prosecutors requested that a court revoke the earlier release and impose house arrest to “safeguard the criminal process.”

Guanipa’s abrupt return to custody has drawn criticism from Machado, who described his detention shortly after release as a form of “kidnapping” by security forces. The episode has raised concerns among the opposition and rights groups about the fragility of political reforms and the treatment of dissenters even as Venezuela’s parliament prepares to consider an amnesty bill for political prisoners and others detained during years of political repression.

The situation underscores ongoing uncertainty in Venezuela’s political landscape as factions debate how quickly and thoroughly the country will transition from years of authoritarian practices toward broader democratic participation.

END/WD//RH/