May 8, 2019

Venezuelan police arrest National Assembly's VP

Rashaan Ayesh

Edgar Zambrano with Juan Guiado — Juan Guaidó (left) with Edgar Zambrano (right). Photo: Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images

The vice president of Venezuela's National assembly, Edgar Zambrano, was arrested by state police in Caracas on Wednesday evening, reports the Washington Post.

The state of play: Zambrano was leaving the Democratic Action party's headquarters when a SEBIN intelligence unit surrounded his car. Zambrano tweeted: "We democrats we will keep fighting!" as he was towed away while still inside his car. This comes after he stood with opposition leader Juan Guaidó on April 30 to encourage the military to rise against President Nicolas Maduro, reports the AP. Zambrano has been charged with treason, conspiracy and rebellion per the Washington Post.

Why it matters: Government supporters have advocated for Maduro to order arrests following last week's failed uprising. But experts suggest an attempt to arrest Guaidó risks a strong U.S. response. Already, the U.S. already cautioned against "grave consequences."

Go deeper: Venezuela's crisis continues 10 weeks after U.S. recognizes Juan Guaidó

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Venezuelan police arrest National Assembly's VP

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