A prominent Venezuelan opposition politician, Freddy Guevara has taken refuge in the Chilean ambassador's residence in Caracas, after the Supreme Court stripped him of his immunity prosecution.
Guevara, who is vice-president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, is accused of instigating violence during opposition protests. The opposition say he is a victim of political prosecution while the Chilean Foreign Ministry said they welcomed Mr Guevara as a guest.
Cardinal Jorge Urosa, the Archbishop of Caracas, said in an interview on Sunday (5 November) that the persecution of Guevara was “unacceptable.” “In a political democracy there must be respect and tolerance for your adversaries…The Government wants to destroy the opposition so there will be a single party, but they will not be able to,” he said.
Guevara represents the Popular Will party and was a vocal leader in protests this year against President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Several members of the Venezuelan opposition have been prosecuted, jailed or stripped of their political rights since Mr Madro was elected to replace the late Hugo Chavez in 2013.
The Popular Will party says the accusations are, “inexistent crimes invented by the dictatorship.” On 5 November, 12 countries, including Mexico and Brazil, issued a joint statement saying the targeting of Mr Guevara was a “new blow to the rule of law and separation of powers in Venezuela.”
PICTURE: Freddy Guevara, first vice president of the National Assembly makes declarations to the media at the National Assembly in Caracas in August ©PA
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