Edmundo González Reports 'Kidnapping' of Son-in-Law by 'Hooded Men'

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia reported on Tuesday the kidnapping of his son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, by 'hooded men' in Caracas. The incident occurred while he was taking his children to school on the first day back after the Christmas holidays. According to the politician, individuals dressed in black and wearing balaclavas intercepted Tudares, forced him into a van, and drove off in an unknown direction. 'At this hour, he is missing,' the veteran politician, who is on an international tour to garner support ahead of Nicolás Maduro's inauguration this coming Friday, January 10, stated on social media.

Authorities remain silent on the capture of Rafael Tudares. While his father-in-law claims he has been 'kidnapped,' the opposition does not rule out that it may have been an operation by security forces or paramilitaries and that the son-in-law is being held in a detention center. Sources suggest it is an attempt by the regime to exert pressure on Edmundo González on the eve of the inauguration and the protest called for this Thursday by the opposition movement.

This is Venezuela at the beginning of 2025. Two men, Nicolás Maduro and Edmundo González, vying for the presidency of a country that feels like it's sitting on a powder keg ready to ignite. Or close to facing another disappointment as all hopes for change and a free Venezuela once again may be dashed. Between the drama and tension over what might happen in the immediate future. January 10. There are no flames yet, but they could ignite in the coming days.

Friday, January 10, is the date set for the presidential inauguration in Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro Moros, 62, is ahead and in Caracas. Edmundo González Urrutia, 75, had to leave and exile in Spain and now wants to return to his country but is threatened with arrest. The opposition, eager for change and denouncing the regime's electoral fraud while claiming victory in the recent elections, has been warned by the Chavista government that they may enter but not leave.

But Thursday could bring everything forward. María Corina Machado has called on the Venezuelan population to take to the streets on January 9. In response, the Chavista regime has called for another citizen mobilization, which could lead to violent confrontations. For the inauguration, Maduro has planned a security contingent of 1,200 personnel. Machado issued a call to the armed forces, urging them to show whether they are 'tyrants, oppressors, or heroes defending their people.'

The government maintains that it is the inauguration of Nicolás Maduro, who has been president for 11 years and seeks to remain in power for another six years after being declared the winner of the July 28 elections by the National Electoral Council, but without presenting any evidence to support his victory. Numerous international organizations and leaders from other countries have labeled it a fraud.

Others call for taking to the streets so that Edmundo González is inaugurated as the new president of Venezuela. A former diplomat who lived quietly until convinced by opposition parties to run for the presidency and who today considers himself backed by electoral records, validated by election witnesses and the Carter Center, and a large number of leaders, the latest being Joe Biden, President of the United States, who received him at the White House last Monday.

The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, a politician disqualified from running in the elections, is preparing demonstrations for January 9, 24 hours before D-Day. The leader of Vente Venezuela has tried almost everything, from convincing the armed and police forces to support change to risking her own life. 'I wouldn't miss that day for anything in the world. It will be a historic day, one that all Venezuelans want to be part of, to tell our grandchildren and for them to tell theirs. I have a commitment. I will never abandon the Venezuelans,' Machado said at a virtual press conference.

Machado issued another proclamation during a press conference on Tuesday: 'The time for definition has come. The litmus test for Maduro, for the few supporters he has left, and for the democratic governments of the world. They must decide which side they are on, the side of tyranny and violence, or the side of democracy, the Constitution, and the people of Venezuela,' she said while again calling on the country and Venezuelan citizens to take to the streets worldwide.

Support for Edmundo González received a new boost from the international community on Tuesday. The governments of Chile and Paraguay announced the end of their diplomatic missions with Venezuela. González held meetings with U.S. Republican senators in the morning and Democrats in the afternoon.