The Chavismo arrests the mayor of Maracaibo, opponent and friend of Edmundo González

The mayor of Maracaibo, Rafael Ramírez Colina, has become the fifth municipal leader opposing Nicolás Maduro's Chavista regime to be imprisoned this year. The Primero Justicia (PJ) party, the same as Edmundo González Urrutia's, has protested on social media against the arrest of the mayor and three other officials, including the Secretary of Citizen Security, David Barroso. Ramírez and his colleagues were arrested on Tuesday night by the National Intelligence Service (Sebin) in the capital of Zulia.

Four other mayors opposing Maduro's policies also remain in prison. The mayor of Ayacucho (Táchira), Yonnhy Liscano, was arrested on June 20 accused of corruption. Liscano had no qualms about supporting Edmundo González's candidacy in the July 28 elections, and two months later, the National Electoral Center (CNE) still refuses to present the records, which according to the opposition showed González as the winner, now exiled in Spain.

On August 2, Jordan Sifuentes, the only municipal leader opposing Maduro in the Sucre region, was detained without a justified reason by the regime. Fernando Feo, mayor of Tinaquillo (Cojedes), was imprisoned two days later. He also supported González's candidacy. And Abraham Hayón Chocrón, mayor of Rangel (Mérida), whom Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior Relations, Justice and Peace, has accused of "treason to the homeland".

Hayón denied having written a post on social media asking for US intervention to ensure peace and institutional order in Venezuela. Hayón was removed from his position as mayor in September 2023 for being absent from office for more than 90 days but was later reinstated until last September.

On August 5, the audit of the municipality of Maracaibo presented the results of 912 digitized electoral records (77.16%), in which Edmundo González appeared with a total of 273,762 votes (75%), while Nicolás Maduro had 86,337 (24%).

On the social network X, the Primero Justicia party highlighted the great work that Ramírez Colina has carried out in Venezuela's second most populated city, where he was elected in the 2021 municipal elections. "He has been an excellent mayor who has only dedicated himself to building solutions, sowing hope and ensuring that each of Maracaibo's 18 parishes receives necessary assistance based on values and principles that define us as justicieros." Faced with an increase in political prisoners, PJ called for respect for human rights and an end to political persecution suffered by all Maduro opponents.

In the same vein expressed María Corina Machado, the great opposition leader whom Maduro has accused of seeking exile: "We denounce to the world how the regime's repressive wave intensifies. With this wave of terror, the regime seeks to break willpower and divide the enormous social movement that expressed itself on July 28 and defeated tyranny."

María Corina demanded Ramírez's release while urging the whole world to act now. "Every prisoner and persecuted person belongs to all Venezuelans and we all fight for their freedom," concluded the Venezuelan leader.