Arrest of Two Leaders of the Opposition to the President of Venezuela

Reports indicate that after two leaders of the opposition to Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela called for protests in response to the government's plan to undermine the power of the parliament, Venezuelan security officials entered their homes and arrested them. According to Reuters, Leopoldo López and Antonio Ledezma were under house arrest prior to their detention. The majority of the Venezuelan parliament is held by the opposition, but the Venezuelan government held a vote on Sunday to form a new body called the 'Constituent Assembly'; this body, composed of close allies of the Venezuelan president, will have the authority to dissolve the parliament and rewrite the constitution. The Venezuelan government claims that over 40% of eligible voters participated in the vote on Sunday, and that the outcome was a 'success' for the government. Opposition groups believe the participation rate was less than half of what the government announced and accuse the government of electoral fraud. According to Reuters, both arrested leaders are former mayors of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and attempts by the news agency to contact the Venezuelan Ministry of Information for updates on their status were unsuccessful. In protests that coincided with the aforementioned vote in the streets of Venezuela, at least 10 people were killed and several others were injured. The United States, the European Union, and some South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, have also opposed this vote, stating that it 'destroys' democracy in Venezuela. The Maduro government has rejected these criticisms and claims that this change will bring 'peace and tranquility' to the country. On Monday, the United States imposed direct sanctions on Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, and all members of the new 'Constituent Assembly'. Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, stated that 'yesterday's illegal election confirms Maduro's dictatorship and shows that he ignores the will of the Venezuelan people.' Reports indicate that Nicolás Maduro, in response to these sanctions, called the United States 'imperialist' and said he is 'proud' to be sanctioned by the U.S. He also stated that 'Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is making the biggest mistake of his life by interfering in Venezuela's affairs.' The U.S. State Department announced on Sunday that the United States will take 'immediate and strong measures against the architects of authoritarianism [in Venezuela]', which will include sanctions on the country's energy and oil sector. The United States is the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil, and if these sanctions are implemented, Venezuela's economic conditions will face new significant challenges. Despite having one of the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela suffers from the highest inflation rate globally, and its people face chronic shortages of basic necessities. Since April, the country has been facing widespread protests that have resulted in at least 113 deaths so far; opposition groups announced on Sunday that they will continue their protests despite severe repression.