(Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan officials arrested the head of security for Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader, less than two weeks before the presidential vote.
Machado said in a post on X that Milciades Avila, who has headed her security team for 10 years, was detained early Wednesday by “regime officials” for abusive behavior towards women. The officials broke into a house where Avila was staying, in “violation of all due legal procedures,” her party, Vente Venezuela, said in a separate post.
The move comes just 11 days before the July 28 vote. President Nicolás Maduro is seeking a third term, with most polls showing him as many as 20 points behind Edmundo González, who is standing in for Machado after she was banned from participating.
The alleged arrest of Avila follows arrest warrants issued against Machado’s aides and allies in March, and a crackdown on dissent ahead of the vote. About 77 opposition supporters and aides have been arrested since the presidential campaign began on July 4, Caracas-based human rights organization Foro Penal reported on Tuesday.
Venezuela’s Information Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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