Edgar Zambrano, the vice president of the National Assembly, has been missing for 72 hours.
Zambrano was arrested in Caracas on Wednesday night by officers from the Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional (National Bolivarian Intelligence Service, SEBIN) as part of the Maduro regime’s latest wave of persecution against his political opponents.
No one has heard from Zambrano since his arrest. His whereabouts are unknown.
Early this morning, Zambrano’s daughter, Soley Zambrano, released a video on social media calling on the Maduro regime to show evidence that her father is still alive.
Below, Soley’s video along with my translation:
Venezuela: Today is Sunday, and the time is 12:25 [AM], May 12, 2019. I want to call on the authorities to show evidence that my father, deputy Edgar Zambrano, is still alive, given the rumours that are spreading on social media about his health.
I also want to point out that we’ve been to Fuerte Tiuna [a military base in Caracas] and El Helicoide [the SEBIN HQ in Caracas], and they haven’t given us any information about him.
So please, once again, I’m calling on the authorities to prove that deputy Zambrano is alive.
There have been rumours circulating on social media that Zambrano has suffered a heart attack and that he has died. The rumours are unsubstantiated.
The Maduro regime has launched a crackdown on the opposition following the events of April 30, when Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez called on Venezuelans the the military to join them in removing Maduro from power.
Since then, three National Assembly deputies have been forced to flee Maduro’s wrath by taking refuge in foreign embassies in Caracas. Leopoldo Lopez is also taking refuge, in the Spanish ambassador’s home. Eighteen soldiers who joined the opposition on the streets on April 30 are in the Panamanian embassy.
According to El Universal, neither the three deputies nor Lopez have requested asylum.
Pompeo Heading to Russia to Talk Venezuela
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to Russia next week to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Citing a senior State Department official, CNN reported that the purpose of Pompeo’s visit will be to have “frank discussions” on a number of issues, including the ongoing Venezuela crisis.
Maduro Releases Mother’s Day Message
Maduro posted a Mother’s Day message on his Twitter account today, during which he spoke to all of the mothers in Venezuela.
Below, the video along with my translation:
Mario Benedetti. With his poems. Let’s make a deal, woman–mother. “Woman, you know you can count on me. Not to two, or ten, but count on me”.
That’s it. You can count on me, Venezuelan mother. On my love. On my protection. And always as a son! I feel like the son of every mother in Venezuela.
On this very special day, I want to send all of my gratitude to the mother who raises her family, who hugs her homeland, from right here, my library, my place of reflection and of life [sic].
Everything is possible with mothers! That’s why I’m telling you, with Mario Benedetti: count on me, Venezuelan mothers! Congratulations. God bless you!
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